Killing Time
by The AU No-Bashing Writer
Summary: Ron, Ginny and Harry are the only ones left among their friends, as they fail to find the Horcruxes in time. They use a ritual, but it is botched up when a Death Eater breaks the Imperius cast on him. Will Harry, now back in time, be able to find all the Hocruxes and stave off the war? Pairings: HP/HG, RW/LB, NL/SB, GW/LL, RL/NT, SB/OC. A/U for incidents, post OotP.
1. Chapter 1

My first ever story. I hope the readers like it. As another fan-fiction writer has said, "There is a time travel story in every writer." There's a nod to the stories by muggledad.

* * *

 **It's time, Harry**

The time after June 1996 had been fraught with terrors, horrors and sorrow for the Order of the Phoenix and their allies in their dogged opposition to Tom Marvolo Riddle, the self-styled Lord Voldemort. Immediately after Sirius Black's death in the ill-fated Battle of the Ministry, Voldemort, in retaliation to the defeat to Albus Dumbledore, and his inability to possess and kill Harry Potter, as well as to being brought out into the open, had attacked several major muggle and magical targets simultaneously.

The time spent in government-aided obscurity meant that Voldemort had built a massive support structure across Europe while the Ministry of Magic in England had fought against the real upstanding citizens. Using suggestions, promises, rhetoric and force, as and when, as well as where it was required, Voldemort had created a real network of his Death Eaters across the continent.

He had utilised the year in silence very well.

He firstly disposed of Amelia Bones, the one witch that could have cracked down hard on the Death Eaters. It was a duel that he relished. He then managed to insert Death Eaters into the Royal family's protective detail. It had been with exquisite ease that Voldemort had ended the line of Windsor, killing each member himself.

Having realised his fallacy in ignoring muggle means during his first rise, Voldemort had made overtures to gangs and mafia, or similar organisations. Showing power by mass destruction, he had convinced them to join him, giving them illusions of power. Those that he hadn't been able to convince, he had forced. Death threats worked just as well on hardened murderers as the next man. These muggle mercenaries had gone on to secure land tracts across their respective nations. These tracts had served as farms and factories, and warehouses and silos for all the necessities and supplies, keeping the second rise of Emperor Voldemort a smoothly functioning, well-oiled machine.

These mercenaries and the slavery and bonded labour that they enforced, had eventually degenerated into fiefdoms. Emperor Voldemort, for he had subjugated the British Isles, the erstwhile USSR, northern Africa and central Europe in that order, was the one that 'awarded' his 'knights' and 'lords of the peerage' that he had modelled these people and their activities on. So long as the monies and riches went Emperor Voldemort's way, there was little that he deigned to interfere in, in their daily matters. They were left to their own devices, the 'filthy' muggles in their 'filthy' sties. They were only useful for menial work and labour. Any revolt was ruthlessly crushed. Feudalism had reigned supreme for the first decade.

And yet, the Emperor had not stopped there. Knowing that keeping the muggles under flux was the only way in which they could be subdued, he had allowed one revolt. This revolt had culminated into the rise of neo-communism, with one leader for the feudal states. This had proved all the more pliable for Voldemort, much to his amusement. The idolised leader was made to bow, and bow he had when his baser sins had been addressed. The 'revolution' had lasted a grand total of three years, after which, it was a communist-run anarchy that replaced the opposing ideology, but not the anarchy itself.

The response to the Empire of Voldemort was the unexpected unification of the rising Asian powers, at least over the matter. In a rare show of unity, China, India, South Korea and Japan had given political asylum to much of Europe. Both Magical and Muggle governments had created safe havens for the crushed people of Europe. Among the other continents, the Americas had decided to be neutral, choosing to keep themselves out of the conflict. Australia had offered non-aggressive help.

All that ended when the Empire attacked the oil rich Middle East. Starved of energy to fuel their growth, Asia had been brought to her knees, while the Americas had to go without and were taken under the banner of the Empire without even a whimper. Australia had given token resistance – till nuclear weapons had been dispatched to decimate the continent completely.

Voldemort's utilisation of muggles in his quest for absolute power had raised eyebrows amongst his magical followers. There were whispers regarding the Dark Lord's newfound attitude towards muggles. Questions were asked in conversations behind closed doors. No one dares to really ask the question to Voldemort himself for the longest time.

Finally Augustus Selwyn had done so near the end of the first year of the reign.

 _"_ _Milord, if I may be so bold, may I have leave to ask a question?"_

 _"_ _Speak, Augustus. You have Our leave."_

 _"_ _Milord, have we failed you in some way? Why is it that muggles are your hands of choice?"_

 _Voldemort smiled a grim lipless smile. Well, 'smile' was the nearest description possible. The thin white line curved upwards anyway._

 _"_ _Have you experienced the efficiency of those little beasts, Selwyn?"_

 _"_ _I have seen it, Milord," Selwyn admitted._

 _"_ _But you haven't experienced it, Selwyn?" The monster's voice was soft, curious and silky._

 _"_ _No, Milord."_

 _"_ _That's such a pity. Fortunately that can be easily remedied."_

 _A few moments later, the emptied magazine of a handgun had turned Augustus Selwyn into a human block of cheese that had yet to come to terms with the fact that it was dead._

 _"_ _Is there anyone else that expects answers from me?"_

There had never been another voice of dissent after that. It had, however, led to more vicious killings by the Death Eaters. Someone on the opposite side had had the idea of enchanting the guns and other assorted weaponry to shoot spells with a trigger. Unfortunately, those plans fell into the hands of the enemy. While the Order never found out about the innovation, Emperor Voldemort did. He rewarded Theodore Nott handsomely for that piece of information. It did, after all, help in the running of his Realm.

By 2020, about twenty four years after the war was brought out into the open, Emperor Voldemort was the undisputed magical and muggle ruler of the earth, omnipotent and immortal.

* * *

This was not to say, though, that there weren't any attempts at normalcy by common people. There were many, in fact.

The members of the Ministry six, found love – in the case of Luna and Ginny, with each other. It had been a very big surprise. Harry and the Weasley brothers, who had grown as close as real brothers were gearing up for the next boy Ginny would date, practising for the torrid time they would give him. There had been no inkling of _that_ relationship, though. Ginny had dated Michael Corner, Zacharias Smith and Dean Thomas briefly, before the fight of the Ministry, having feared her family's reaction to her real self. In quirk of irony, she had wanted to be normal and not freakish in the eyes of her family, and had found an anchor in her hero-worship of Harry, which she had been able to pass off as a crush. Luna had already been classified as a person who wasn't all there, in spite of her brilliance and her endearing nature. She was already considered to be a freak and unnatural by many. It was actually her reaction to what she saw as Ginny's rejection. The very attraction that the two witches held for the other was why they had drifted away in the first place.

The fight at the Ministry had driven home the shortness of life to them. They had ended up confessing to the other and crying their eyes out. Indeed, it had been Hermione who had first found out about the two. It had been a very scary moment for the two younger witches.

 _Hermione, on her Prefect rounds, had chanced upon a classroom where two girls were presumably crying. Perhaps, in another world where Voldemort never existed, she would have rolled her eyes at students sneaking out after curfew and crying over 'boy problems'. Unfortunately, the problems tended to be graver. It wasn't unusual for her and her fellow prefects to chance upon students with family problems, having trouble coping with the aftermaths of deaths in the attacks on their homes, or not having homes at all. There had even been instances of pressure and blackmail. She opened the door slightly to reveal two of her best friends crying in each others' arms._

 _Fearing that someone had attacked them or worse and getting angry about it at the same time, she approached the two quietly, only to be shocked as Luna grabbed Ginny and kissed her passionately. Hermione stood nonplussed as she saw the scene._

 _When he kiss broke and they glanced around, they froze, as one._

 _After a very excruciatingly painful silence for the two, Ginny attempted to speak. "I-It isn't what it looks like, Hermione!"_

 _Unfortunately, that had only led to the revelation of another of her secrets, this one more closely guarded. In times of distress, she switched to Parseltongue, a holdover from her time under Tom's possession._

 _"_ _Ginny?" Hermione had asked a bit fearfully. "I can't understand a word that you are speaking."_

 _"_ _She is saying that it isn't what she looked like," Luna explained, though her words held a world of hurt._

 _"_ _How'd you know?"_

 _"_ _The Nargles told me," Luna replied, slipping into her dotty persona._

 _Hermione shook her head at that. "It doesn't matter to me, Ginny, Luna. Honestly it doesn't. Dumbledore did say that it was the power of love that will defeat You-Know-Who. It isn't for me to judge who you find love with – well, unless you find love with Malfoy or someone like that," she added, trying for some levity. "If you have found it with each other, I will support you."_

 _"_ _You don't – you aren't disgusted?" Luna had asked, her expression clearing a bit._

 _"_ _No," Hermione had firmly replied. "You are both my friends! I won't abandon you!"_

 _Luna had a fleeting but very heartfelt expression of gratitude on her face as she rushed up to hug the older girl. Hermione returned the hug._

 _"_ _What about my family, my brothers, and the others?" Ginny had asked in a small voice._

 _"_ _They love you, Ginny. They will accept you."_

 _"_ _They won't think of me as a freak?"_

 _Hermione had not answered immediately. "Do you mind if I told Harry about it?"_

 _Ginny shrank further into herself. Luna asked with affected equanimity, "Why?"_

 _"_ _Harry knows what it is like to be called a freak, because as a wizard he is different from the muggles. He will be able to help you better, and he will also be able to convince the Weasleys better as well." Upon the looks of understanding that she received, Hermione had added a rider, "At least, I think he'll be able to."_

 _The three girls had stared at each other for a long moment, before the couple acquiesced._

 _"_ _Thank you, Hermione."_

 _Her response was to gather the girls in a group hug and then tease, "Just use the Silencing Charms, alright?"_

It had proven to be a piece of cake for Hermione to convince Harry. Harry being Harry had immediately rushed to offer his support and promise to talk to the Weasleys when the time came. He had also ribbed Luna, by attempting to torment her with the, "You treat her right, or else!" threat.

He had to be rushed to the Hospital Wing to undo Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex.

Neville had been comforting Susan since the death of Amelia Bones. As the lone Bones left, she had a very hefty responsibility on her shoulders. Their closeness culminated into a much deeper relationship. This was not to say that he became exempt from the pranks and teasing by his friends. He grew closer with them as well, becoming a vital cog in their own group, a part of the golden members of their generation that was destined to fight Voldemort when his reign became "more terrible than ever before".

Lavender, in a surprise move, had decided that Ron was now worthy of her attention. While the friends were apprehensive about the sudden change in behaviour, they eventually accepted her. She had simply drawn out her inner Gryffindor, and snagged Ron upon his entry into the tower for the Gryffindor House Welcoming Party with a searing kiss.

Ron's goofy smile did not vanish for days together.

The two other members of the Ministry Six were brought together by a school-full of frustrated people, headed by their best mate.

Having decided that enough was enough, and having also realised that his bet in the Hogwarts-wide pool that was to answer the question "When will Harry and Hermione wake up start dating each other?" was approaching fast, Ron Weasley had set his two friends up on a date, leaving them to their own devices, on the first Hogsmeade weekend of their sixth year. It incidentally was the weekend just before Halloween. Harry and Hermione had ended up kissing each other within an inch of their lives on Halloween, smack bang in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron's overenthusiastic whoops of celebration at having won three thousand seven hundred and ninety eight galleons had brought Minerva McGonagall rushing to the Gryffindor tower. It was bad timing for the cat animagus – she went away poorer by eighteen galleons, having bet on Christmas.

Those incidents were some of the bright spots for the 'Light'. However, they were about as effective as a single firefly in the mines of Moria.

* * *

On the other fronts, there was a lot of work going on. As promised, Dumbledore had come through and made the DA a sanctioned school group. However, he still wouldn't meet Harry's eyes, something that bothered the boy very much. It wasn't until much later that he understood his headmaster's motivation.

The DA was shaping along nicely. Each of the members had been classed as good enough to fight a Death Eater till help came, by the Professors. They had also included alternative fighting techniques, grey curses, aerial fights (which meant learning broom-riding, much to Ron's glee and Hermione's dismay) and the like.

A new and very important stipulation was Oath and Vow required from the members to state that they would never join Voldemort willingly. Knowing that they could fall under duress, they had been given an engraved amulet not quite unlike the Dark Mark, which would be used to call in help.

It had worked out well, initially. But the Death Eaters had soon cottoned on, and started to remove the amulets at the first available chance at first. These removed amulets were used to bait the DA to kill the members.

Eventually that plan failed as well.

The night at the end of the Autumn/Winter term of their sixth year, when Harry learnt the reason for Dumbledore's reticence regarding the contact with his prophesied student, had started an unnecessary crack in their relationship which cost the 'Light' a lot.

In all fairness, Dumbledore had called Harry, and by association his core group of friends that night to explain the ways that Voldemort had lived: Horcruxes. Dumbledore was unwilling to commit the information to Harry, rightly fearing that Voldemort could just as well rip it out of the boy's mind.

What Dumbledore had not counted on was for the slightly antagonistic feelings that the secrets had engendered towards him. Trust Hermione Granger to know that Legillimency didn't work the way Voldemort used it. She had divined the truth that the curse scar was more than that, though she hadn't really understood _what_ it was.

When Dumbledore had revealed what Harry's scar really was, her anger had known no bounds.

 _With a most venomous lilt to her voice, Hermione had hissed, "Did you mean to kill my Harry, Headmaster?"_

 _Dumbledore blinked at her tone, and smiled at her use of the possessive pronoun. "Indeed not, Ms. Granger. I've been working on a way to extract the splinter of Tom's cleaved soul from Harry without harming him."_

 _"_ _Why now?"_

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _You must have known for long," Hermione accused. "You did say to Harry after he had fought the basilisk that Riddle transferred a part of his powers that night back in 1981," she continued, throwing his words back at him. "It wasn't his powers, but a part of Tom himself, wasn't it?"_

 _Dumbledore looked at the irate witch facing him down. At long last, he answered, "Yes. It is true."_

 _"_ _Then why?" In two words, laced with disappointment and a feeling of betrayal, both Harry and Hermione had managed to articulate the question that everyone else was asking without words._

 _Dumbledore couldn't face them at that moment. He faced the grounds darkening under the failing light of dusk. "I have more than just Harry to think of, Ms. Granger. I was of the belief that it could prove to be a strategic asset for us." He turned to the students slightly and surveyed them all in turn. "It was most fortuitous. A peek into Voldemort's mind, a monitor upon his actions, a way to understand him through what he did that we couldn't see... Don't you see how I became greedy, wanting to utilise this resource? Can't you, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Weasley? It did save Arthur, after all."_

 _A resource. That was how he had viewed Harry – not as a person, but as a resource. For the person in question and the people directly connected to him, it was a blow, never mind the fact that intellectually, what Dumbledore said was right in a very warped sense._

 _Ron, with all his fiery Weasley temper and bluster had countered the Headmaster with a sneer, "Don't try that line with us, sir! You haven't had to see Harry looking like he was being tortured by invisible people for hours on end, each time he sees the deeds that that monster commits! With all due respect, sir, I don't think Dad would very much appreciate the price for his safety to be paid by Harry."_

 _It had been the moment which had defined Ron that moment onwards._

 _Dumbledore surveyed them all over his half-moon glasses. "You have good friends, Harry Potter. Keep them close." He then drew his wand. "I recently decided that it was causing our side more harm than good, what with the way he lured Harry into the Ministry..."_

 _"_ _Which could have been avoided if you hadn't clung to your secrets," cut in Luna._

 _"_ _Indeed. Don't try to absolve yourself of your part of the blame sir," Neville chastised his Headmaster._

 _Dumbledore nodded his head to concede the point. "True, indeed. So I have spent the summer looking for a viable way to purge it out of Harry. And I am happy to say that I have found a way that doesn't involve killing Harry."_

 _It had been a runic exorcism ritual, which had told them the items and the number as well as the murders associated with Voldemort's Soul Anchors, though not their hiding places. His wand, which he had since taken back from Wormtail, Gryffindor's war helmet and the lost sheath of the Sword of Gryffindor, Slytherin's Locket and Ring, Ravenclaw's shield, Hufflepuff's bejewelled quill, and the Diary which Harry had destroyed in his second year. The Monster had decided to split his soul into nine. And he had killed newborn babies to facilitate the vile ritual._

 _"_ _Perhaps," said Susan at long last, "You have made a big mistake, Professor. You've found more information by freeing Harry than by exposing him to that monstrosity."_

 _Looking every bit his hundred and sixty eight years of age and severely drained, Dumbledore agreed._

While that meeting gave them the secret to defeating Voldemort once and for all, it also signified the fracture of the relationship between the two disparate generations of fighters. The youngsters lost trust in Dumbledore, in spite of his efforts, while Dumbledore found them to be immature – it wasn't as if anyone knew that the purging would give them that information.

The younger generation worked their way, deciding that the war couldn't be won without evening the odds in their favour, while Dumbledore worked to eliminate the Horcruxes. Neither was very successful.

While the idea to eliminate the Death Eaters was alright in theory, they found out that they were too shielded to bear the cross. Of them all, only Harry had ever taken a life in self-defence. This meant that they looked to him to lead them, and he was often at loss, something that frustrated all of them.

Dumbledore tried to find the Horcruxes, but there were more false leads per Horcrux than the hair in his beard. Voldemort had, in anticipation of someone (Dumbledore) realising what he had done, set up several decoy locations. He had had to fight through their ranks, using memory charms as well sometimes, only to reach a fake.

It took time, but eventually each faction developed a grudging respect for the other. Dumbledore had to eventually call in a support force comprised of Order members, which eventually included the core group of Harry and Hermione, Neville and Susan, Ron and Lavender, and Ginny and Luna, as soon as they reached their respective adulthoods. Dumbledore saw it as his greatest failure that the parents of six of the eight had fought in the previous war, and yet their children had had to fight as well.

* * *

Towards the end of the seventh year, the worst thing that could have happened did happen. Severus Snape turned. The spy decided that he was done supporting the losing side, and announced his betrayal spectacularly by murdering Dumbledore.

It had turned the slowly, but surely turning wheels of the war squarely into Voldemort's favour. That night, many students, newly free from the exams had escaped Hogwarts. Ditching Grimmauld Place, which had now been placed under a Fidelius Charm with Hermione as the secret-keeper (and where they had found the locket which had since been destroyed), the Order had chosen the now closed Hogwarts as their headquarters.

The attacks by Voldemort were fast and furious, and soon, all that was left of the British Muggleborn students and their families (including the Grangers) was the contingent that called Hogwarts home. Remus and Nymphadora Tonks, as well as their baby, Teddy took residence in the castle. The couple took over the day-to-day administration of what had essentially become a self-contained village.

They could no longer concentrate on the Horcruxes, as there simply were too many to fight. Each of the couples among the core eight had married within the first two years of the war, and had set up their own safe houses and protections.

They started working apart from the Order, which while accepting the need to kill, had shied away from actual raids. In the first eight years, they had accounted for nearly four gross Death Eaters between them, but like Hydra, they kept on coming. By this time, Hermione, Susan and Lavender had fallen pregnant with their first children, respectively. They were then assigned to the duty of dissembling and decoding the intelligence.

In that time, the Order, now comprising of Kingsley, Minerva, Moody, the Weasleys, the erstwhile DA (twenty of the twenty three living members – Cho Chang, Alicia Spinnet and Dean Thomas helped Remus administrate Hogwarts), Remus and Dora, and some Aurors that the three original Auror members of the Order had managed to break away had become the last things standing between Voldemort and the inevitable oncoming annihilation.

Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Parvati Patil, and Hannah Abbott, four of the original twenty eight that hadn't managed to turn up had been found in 'Entertainment Houses'. They hadn't even left out Slytherin, pureblood girls. Hannah had begged her best friend to free her from the misery. Susan had had to kill Hannah along with Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass. She never killed again, till another tragedy sent her over the edge.

The losses had started mounting to such levels that Harry wished for the comfort that knowing things would've brought. Not for the first time, he muttered an apology to his dead headmaster.

It was in 2014, that tragedy struck hard and fast. On a routine mission, they had lost Neville. Snape had killed him. It didn't matter that they got all three Malfoys in that raid. Neville was dead, leaving behind Alexander, Franklin and Rhapsody, his three children. Susan had never been the same again. She went over the edge, killing and torturing without any compunction. Ironically, it had been Bellatrix that had killed her, just six months after Neville's death.

Ron, Harry and Ginny had soldiered on, becoming the three-member strike team that rotated with Fred, George and Lee Jordan. The latter three were caught in a magical blast, killing them instantly, leaving the two Weasleys and Harry as the only remaining strike team, after Fleur had been kidnapped and sold, and Bill had been torn apart by Fenrir Greyback.

A Sunday brunch at the Burrow while the three were on a mission, proved to be disastrous. Peter Pettigrew had led an assault on the Burrow. Arthur, Molly and Charlie Weasley, Hermione, Daniel Sirius and Michael Dennis Potter, the three Longbottom children, Ron's sons, Fabian and Gideon and Lavender as well as Luna had all been killed. When the strike team had returned, they had been faced with an army of Inferi. That day, the three had to kill their own family all over again. That night, the three cried their lives away.

After that the three became machines. They took down as many of the muggle and magical Death Eaters as they could, but everyone around them knew that it was a lost cause. They were losing. They had long gone past hope, and had now fallen to desperation.

* * *

"I wish we had Hermione's time turner," Ron remarked in an offhand manner.

"And what?" Ginny asked her brother.

"I'd just go back to before Voldemort ever came back. Bring back everybody."

"That time turner would've done nothing Ron," Ginny replied, resisting the urge to snap at her brother. She was not heartless enough to take away his air-castles as well.

"He's got a point Gin," Harry remarked suddenly.

"What point?"

"Bringing everyone back."

"Harry we have lost. It's done. We've lost everyone!" she shrieked at her friend. "It's not as if they have made Horcruxes.

"No! Daft woman, I am talking about going back in time!"

Harry could see the spark in Ron's eyes just as he had seen years ago when they would embark on a new adventure.

"Those time turners that Minnie had couldn't travel more than a few hours back, you fools!"

"We will find other ways then," Ron retorted. Then in a fair imitation of his other best friend, he announced, "To the library!"

And they had immersed themselves into it. Hermione would have been proud of the way that they kept at it. They studied the vagaries of time, they studied rituals, and they studied enough to make a rudimentary time turner of their own. It was to not much avail. Still the two were relentless. For Ron, ditching food for books was sacrilege. He did that. For Harry, leaving the outside world to Voldemort's mercy was a crime. He did that as well.

Everyone in the castle attempted to stop them from what was perceived as their madness. Attempts were made to drag them away. Ron, in a very furious moment did something Hermione hadn't managed. He apparated within Hogwarts, straight to the library.

It was in August of 2015 that they found it. After repeated failures as they searched among the light books, they diverged to the darker ones. All spells were based on some sort of forcible sacrifice or murder. It didn't matter. There was nothing that could bother the anymore; they had already lost everything. There was little that could faze them now.

That particular ritual required the sacrifice of as many people as they wished to go back in time to. This was because each magical person's life was tied to their magic. After much deliberation they had decided that the time after they had found Riddle's diary was the best. It was the best opening to coax Dumbledore to go after the Horcruxes, and to purge Harry's scar when he would give Dumbledore the information regarding the other seven intentionally made pieces.

They had decided upon September 1993, at the start of their third year. That was a twenty two year travel. So the two set about capturing twenty two Death Eaters who'd be the sacrifices.

On the autumnal equinox, they decided that Harry being the one with more raw power would perform the ritual, with Ron and Ginny initiating it. Remus and Dora came to meet Harry one last time.

"Save Padfoot, cub," Remus requested.

"Must you ask, Moony?"

"Get them, Uncle Harry," Teddy asked of his godfather. He also left the man with a pearl of wisdom. "Bugger the timeline. Just stop the war before it ever comes."

Harry exchanged a grin with his best mate. They had decided to do just that.

Arranging the twenty two Imperiused Death Eaters on eleven points of the twenty four pointed star, with Ron and Ginny standing at opposite ends.

"Shall we, then?" Ginny asked resignedly.

"Yes of course," Harry replied with a grand grin.

Ginny started her part of the incantation, followed by Harry, and then Ron. A wave of energy surrounded them, like a stopwatch showing the time elapsed.

And then the plan went down the drain. They never really should have gotten Snape, but it was really a matter of revenge. He broke through Ginny's Imperius and moved out of the field just as the incantation was about to be completed. Angrily, he charged towards Harry, and Ron moved to support his friend on reflex when the ritual culminated and the world blew apart.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Return**

Any recognisable part is not mine. Harry Potter is also not mine. I don't think JKR would write Harry Potter fanfics.

* * *

" _Expelliarmus_!" he yelled — except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

* * *

And then Harry screamed. A massive flux of memories, emotions, fears and thoughts flooded into the boy. He clutched at his head and screamed and screamed. Whatever had happened to him was not normal, Harry knew. But then again, when _was_ his life normal?

As the flux receded, he felt another presence within him, a presence that seemed both foreign and familiar. It was the consciousness of the Harry of the future, of the world _he_ had just destroyed.

Behind him, he heard the voice of an angel. It was a beautiful voice, one that he had craved to hear for quite some time now, and one that he was very much familiar with at the same time. That voice was currently shrill out of anger and worry. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Hermione shrieked at Black. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

On his part Sirius was staring at his screaming godson in worry. What had happened to Harry? Did he have recurring bouts of migraines? Were his memories modified? Such headaches were sure signs of the blocks breaking down.

While all this drama was taking place, within Harry, there was a tumult as the two consciousnesses warred for control. Finally the physical Harry acquiesced to the older consciousness' command. "Stun Wormtail!" the other Harry ordered. "We have to free Sirius!" Harry duly stunned the writhing rat with a red bolt of magic.

 _"_ _Cede control for some time, please!"_

Harry did that. And then he levelled his wand at the prone form of Severus Snape. Harry was worried. Did Snape piggyback into the past by botching the ritual? Would he restart the war? Would he kill Neville all over again? He decided to take decisive action.

"AVADA – " he started, but was disarmed by Remus tackling him.

"Geroff Moony! That piece of shite killed Neville and helped kill Padfoot! He is Voldemort's man! Lemme kill him Moony!"

This tirade shocked everyone in the room into a stunned silence.

"Pup?" called Sirius cautiously, in his raspy voice.

Harry looked at him warily for a second, the two parallel tracks of thought warring within him, one unsure and one overflowing with guilt, sorrow and happiness at seeing the man. Then he flew at Sirius Black and wrapped him in the tightest hug possible. Turning around, he saw Ron lying on the bed, his leg broken. Hermione was looking at him with wide eyes. He then saw the rat lying on the ground, unmoving by Moony's feet. Unbidden the tears came.

"You are alive!" he rasped, shaking with sobs. "You are all alive!"

He first pointed his wand at Ron, though his hand was still shaking, and with a less-than-firm "Ferrula!" which caused Ron to hiss momentarily in pain and then look at his friend in shock, trussed up the redhead's leg. Then he gave the boy a (very manly) hug.

"You did it Ron! Even though you won't remember it, you bloody did it!" he yelled half in jubilation.

Ron exchanged a worried glance with Sirius Black of all people.

Harry was unmindful. He hugged Hermione very tightly instead, murmuring, "You are alive, my angel! You are alive, love, you're alive! You are alive, my beautiful Minnie!" as he refused to let go. Hermione couldn't understand where all this had come from, but his loving embrace was causing her to feel all sorts of tingly things up and down her spine and her stomach to perform somersaults. That was until he drew back, green eyes shining with tears.

For Harry, it was nearly a year since he had last seen the woman he loved alive and well. It was nearly a year since he had had to burn her undead body as she approached him as an inferius. He couldn't stop himself as he whispered, "Merlin! I missed you! Don't ever leave me again!" He had to stop himself from kissing her within an inch of her sanity.

On her part Hermione simply couldn't understand the depth of emotion Harry was showing. What had happened to him to make him so affectionate towards her?

Harry spied the skies darkening even as he turned away from Hermione with a sniffle. Years of taking several things on board simultaneously meant he was very well aware of the situation he was in. "Moony?" he called.

"Yes cub?"

"You haven't taken your potion today. Go. I'll handle things here. Stay in your office. Send a Patronus as soon as you reach there. Do not come onto the grounds. There will be lots of soul-sucking going on here."

Remus blanched and rushed off.

Sirius decided that he'd had enough. "Will someone tell me what exactly is going on here?"

Still staring at Harry, Hermione answered. "Believe me, Mr. Black, I am just as unsure as you are."

Presently, Harry decided to really handle the situation first. Returning the wand Sirius had questionably procured, he asked his godfather a favour. "Conjure a shackling chair, will you Padfoot? Our esteemed friends here need to be asked a few questions."

Sirius could make neither head nor tail of the situation, but decided to follow Harry's lead for the time being.

Settling Snape onto the chair, Harry first shackled him and bound him for good measure. It was only then that he revived the man.

Snape had barely been conscious for two moments when he sneered at the people in the room. "POTTER!" he shouted. "I'LL HAVE YOU EXPELLED FOR THIS, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

His tirade was cut off as Harry (relieved by the fact that Snape had not regained those memories, if his first concern was getting Harry expelled) socked him in the jaw and then shook his hand almost involuntarily with a sound of disgust, muttering "Oily! So oily!"

"POTTER!" shouted Snape again.

"Oh, shut up Snivellus! You haven't realised, I think, that you are at _my_ mercy, at the mercy of a _Potter_ , once more in the _Shrieking Shack_ as a _Potter_ saves the skin of a _Black_! Learn to shut up for once!"

For all his traitorous faults, Snape was not a fool. He realised something – there really was something wrong with Potter.

"Now," Harry continued, "since these will be your last few hours on this plane of existence before you quite literally go to hell, you will answer my questions."

Severus was slightly shocked by Potter's presumption and cheek. There was a slight interruption as Remus' wolf informed them that he was secure.

"However, I know for a fact that you will not be so easy to break, so I shall take certain steps. Dobby!"

The enthusiastic house-elf materialised to Harry's side. "The Great Harry –"

"I am pleased to meet you too, Dobby, but right now, I need a little help," Harry commanded firmly.

"Yes sir, Harry Potter!" Dobby accepted shrilly with a military salute.

"Good! I need you to fetch the Sword of Gryffindor from wherever it currently is. Handle it carefully and remember to not touch the blade under any circumstances. Test that it is the correct sword by taking it near any spider – it will run away. After that, I need you to fetch the vial of Phoenix tears – no; make it two vials of Phoenix tears from the Potion Master's cabinet. Then go directly to Madam Pomfrey and fetch a pepper-up potion. Can you do that?"

"Yes sir." The elf promptly popped off.

"And now we wait," said Harry with a smile.

Three minutes later Dobby popped in with his cargo. "Thank you Dobby. You have been most kind. If I could bother you further, could you please summon Amelia Bones? Tell her that Harry Potter has the betrayer of the Potters with him, but not to bring along the dementors. She will also need a legal notarisation regarding exoneration. Also tell her expressly to not mention this to the Minister."

Dobby repeated his instructions and popped off again.

Harry retrieved the small bottle of the potion and handed it to Sirius after lacing it liberally with Phoenix tears – an entire vial, in fact. Sirius drank it without question. Whatever it was, the Pup was helping him, certainly.

"Now, Snivellus, tell me who you really serve."

Snape sneered at him. "You will regret this Potter!" he hissed.

"Wrong answer!" sang Harry, and nicked his hand with the blade. Immediately the place where Harry had cut him started turning black and blue as the poison started spreading.

"What have you done?" Snape asked in shock.

"Answer my question first, Snivellus."

By now, the man was losing the control of his tongue and knew that Potter would kill him with impunity. "Dha Dzaak Lol!"

"Hmm. I should let you die, but I have a few more questions to ask, so..." he placed a miniscule drop of Phoenix Tears on the nick and one on the man's tongue.

"YOU!"

"SHH!" Harry shushed him sharply. "You are going to die, Snape. I know what you really are. Next question. Tell me, did Voldemort tell you to guard something within the castle?"

"I won't tell y-AAAH!" Harry had nicked him again.

"Don't you learn, Death Eater?" Harry asked incredulously as Snape started losing muscle control again. When the man wouldn't answer, Harry flicked a drop of the Tears into each of his eyes, curing his eyesight, and depriving Snape of it simultaneously.

Severus had no respite. "Yeth!"

"Where is it?"

"Sheber o' seegets!"

"Is it now?" He withdrew another drop of Tears and put it tantalisingly close to Severus' wound. "Tell the truth Snivellus."

"Issh id da shebber dab id!"

Harry tilted the hand so that the tear flowed onto the wound healing it.

"Did you follow Ginny Weasley into the Chamber last year?"

"No." Severus was now answering without protest. "I wasn't sure whether I'd get out if I got in."

"Good answer. Now, goodbye." He pointed his wand at the Potions Master and stunned him. "I will not miss you when the Dementors accidentally kiss you later, Snivellus."

Harry happily turned to the others in the room.

Predictably, Hermione was the first to fire of her questions. "Harry what was that? Why were you crying? What is going on? Why are you going to have Snape accidentally kissed? Why did you hug Sirius Black? What is it with the rat?"

Harry was still amused with the way the girl who'd go on to be his wife spoke and with how much she could speak in one breath. "I will give you an overview. That rat is Peter Pettigrew. Next year, he and Bartemius Crouch Junior would put me into the Triwizard Tournament to use my blood to resurrect Voldemort. There was a very big war that started. We lost. We lost heavily. Sirius dies two years from now – Bellatrix killed him. This vermin here, Peter, killed mine and Ron's family, and Luna Lovegood, as well as Neville's kids. Snape killed Neville in 2014 and Dumbledore in 1998."

"Pup/Harry?" gasped Sirius, Ron and Hermione.

"You've travelled back in time?"

"Yes. One of me has."

"One of you?"

"This fucker here," he explained, pointing at Snape, "was one of the people Ron, Ginny and I had Imperiused to serve as sacrifice. He broke the Imperius – never was Gin's best spell by the way, but she does throw a mean Avada Kedavra, you know – and botched up the ritual Ron and I had found out. Somehow that sent that Harry's consciousness to me as well. The plan was to just send my memories." Harry blinked once he had offloaded that information. "Fuck. That's so twisted!"

"Language!" chastised Hermione automatically.

"I'd scold you too, pup," Sirius started and Harry completed, "but that would make you a hypocrite."

"That I'd be," Sirius replied with a grin. He felt lighter since he had been given the Tears.

"So, let me get this straight, you are from 2015 _and_ from 1994," Ron summarised sceptically.

"Yep. Just so you could be convinced, I was told to tell you that you are still scared of the moment when the Egyptian Sphinx turned and looked at you."

"What? How'd you know that? I never told you!"

"Exactly! You told me that on the Autumnal Equinox day of 2015."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did we do that?"

Harry sobered up. "As I said, Peter led an army of Death Eaters into the Burrow. He killed our families and turned them all into Inferi. I had to burn my children's and wife's bodies, as had you. Then we had to burn the Inferi made from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bodies, Gin's partner's body, Charlie's body...so fucking many. You, Ginny and I were the only ones left."

Ron's face turned ashen at that, but Hermione was still not convinced. "Nobody can travel back in time."

"So you aren't wearing a time turner on a necklace?" Harry asked innocently. Hermione only opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

"Fine!"

Harry just smirked.

They waited patiently for Dobby to turn up with Amelia Bones when they started to feel the cold.

"Dementors," Sirius hissed as he started shaking.

"Wuss!" Harry taunted, and summoned Prongs inside the room. As the stag pranced around, Harry rolled Severus Snape out into the grounds exposing him to the dementors while stunned. It was done with the full knowledge that the dementors would wine and dine on his soul. Harry watched the gruesome scene using a window charm. "So much for the treacherous bastard," he sighed.

"Harry!" Hermione rebuked when he returned. Well that was an understatement. "You basically murdered him!"

"I did. So? He murdered Neville, Hermione. They sent us his head, then his torso, then his limbs, one at a time. That is what Snape is. Or was. He was a murderer, plain and simple. I will not waste my morals on such things. You heard him now. He is Voldemort's man through and through. That, right there is one Death Eater less. You'll understand the true extent of the horrors when you see my memories. Then you will wish that it had been you that killed Snape."

Staring at her friend was all she could do. What had they done to him in the future?

Turning to the rat, Harry forced the snivelling piece of vermin into his human form and tied him into the chair after several stunners.

Ron could only goggle at the man that had lived as his pet. "We let him into Gin's room as a prank!"

"Don't worry. We checked in the future. He did nothing to her."

Ron could only sigh in relief.

At long last, Amelia came. Or to be precise, Dobby kidnapped her and set her in front of Pettigrew.

"That's Peter Pettigrew!" she exclaimed.

"We happen to know that, Your Grace," Padfoot said with a theatrical bow.

"Sirius Black!" Amelia automatically brought out her wand to bear.

"Expelliarmus!" was the firm rebuke from Harry as she was disarmed. Wagging a finger at her, he scolded, "You don't get to do that, Your Grace. You have failed in your duty to uphold justice. My innocent godfather got no trial. Now you will arrange a trial tomorrow for both of these people. This will be done at breakfast tomorrow. You will bring the Minister and your top Aurors, whom you shall test for their loyalties beforehand, tomorrow in a surprise visit. You will not let anyone know about it beforehand. The trial will not move out of Hogwarts. I shall be the executioner tomorrow for Peter Pettigrew, as is my right. Am I clear?"

"Mr. Potter..." Lady Bones started with a frown.

"Am I clear Madam? This is non-negotiable. You say no and I will personally ensure that the Ministry falls. The Blacks are an Ancient and Noble House in their own right, and I am not beneath using the Boy-Who-Lived card in this case."

"Is that a threat?"

"Take it as you will. Sirius has been denied justice, either wilfully or through neglect. You have placed yourself in a poor position through your lax attitude as well. It was your duty to ensure that the prisoners in Azkaban all had trials. You failed. You are just as big a **_failure_** as the morally and financially corrupt Cornelius Fudge," he sneered at her. The Susan he knew would have hammered him into oblivion for speaking to her aunt that way. "Don't worry. He won't be the Minister for long," he added.

"Very well. It will be as you say." Amelia couldn't protest. She _had_ failed.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I can understand the precarious position I've put you in. However, you might not know that due to his dabbling in Necromancy, Voldemort is not dead."

Amelia turned her head so fast, she nearly had whiplash.

"Yes. I shall explain everything soon. There was also a _real_ prophecy made to me by Sybil Trelawney today that a servant of his will set out to seek him. We have ensured Severus Snape has been kissed, and that Peter Pettigrew will die tomorrow at my hands. We shall speak at length soon."

In one of the rudest things he had ever had Dobby do, he ordered the elf to pop Amelia back to her home.

"Minnie, give me the time turner, will you? Got a feathered friend to save!"

Hermione numbly acquiesced. What was turning out to be yet another adventure had become so much more. Harry shifted to the time that Walden McNair was trudging up to Buckbeak.

As Walden McNair was about to swish the axe, a spell made the ground beneath him slippery. The axe slipped from his hand, and was invisibly levitated, before falling blade-first onto his head, cleaving it into two. He was instantly killed. He wasn't a big loss really – well, to Voldemort he might have been. He was into Veela trade, and had taken great pleasure in executing the half-breed Hagrid under Umbridge's orders. Hmm. She would have to be taken care of.

Leaving a blustering Cornelius and a flummoxed Dumbledore (Harry was grateful that he couldn't be seen. Over time he had come to realise that Dumbledore really had to look at the big picture. He no longer revered the man as he once did, but respect Albus Dumbledore he did. Dumbledore had been a massive loss) behind, Harry went forward in time to when he had left.

"There," he said jovially. "One Walden McNair is dead by his...own hands. And One Hippogriff is saved."

Ron goggled at his friend in horror and inched away from him. "Harry!" he rasped. "You just killed another man!"

"So what? He was a Death Eater! The sheer litany of his war crimes is enormous!"

"But killing?" Ron remonstrated weakly.

"You know, I really wish we could've brought you back as well. In the last year alone, we killed some seventy odd people between us."

"I killed?" Ron asked, even more horror-struck.

"Yes. I need ten to match you, I think, though _that_ you'd probably say that going back in time to match you was unfair. Your final score was, I think, three hundred and seventy-ish. Somewhere in that range."

Not even Hermione could bring herself to scold Ron when he succinctly summarised his feelings as, "Fuck," eschewing his customary, "Bloody Hell!"

"It's like that for all of us. Hermione, Lavender Brown, Susan Bones all killed some fifty-sixty people, till we hid them because they were pregnant and they worked the intelligence, Luna Lovegood was better with healing and stuff though she killed some thirty people as well, and Ginny killed two hundred, then Neville killed fifty more than her. We were the core eight, the four Killer Couples. We'd broken off from the Order for a while because of differences with Dumbledore, but then there was only the Order and us eight left, and Voldemort kept winning. So we joined them back. Fred, George and Lee and you, Gin and I were the two best strike teams for our side. We killed and killed and killed." He snorted mirthlessly. "When reckoning comes, I am sure that I am going to hell."

"And we won't?" asked Hermione archly, unwilling to let Harry take all the blame.

"You aren't stained anymore, Minnie. I am. It's alright anyway. I'll go to hell if it means our families and the children can be kept safe."

"In that case it is them that will go to hell, Harry," Hermione said fiercely. He thanked her with a nod and a weak smile.

"I have a different problem," Sirius interjected. He was being strangely pragmatic. "Snivellus here botched the ritual. Do you know what exactly the other effects of that might be?"

This was bad. Not because of the idea of side-effects, merely. _Sirius_ , a Marauder, was thinking of the consequences of something that _Harry,_ with about as much experience with if not affinity for pranks, had done. It was just not done.

"I don't know, really," he answered in a small voice.

"And you couldn't think of asking that?"

"Bloody hell, man! I come back in time and you are giving me a bollocking about one tiny thing!" When Sirius merely raised an eyebrow...a very dirty eyebrow at that, Harry shut up.

"Well one of the side effects is that I reached about a year later. I was supposed to reach the 1st of September and catch Wormtail in time," Harry mused. "Snape had moved from his point, as had Ron who was going to drag Snivellus back to his spot." Frowning for a second, he concluded, "Snape didn't have the memories for sure."

"So, since Snape's dead, and Ron's alive, I think we should expect him to have some flashes," reasoned Hermione.

"Possibly..." accepted Sirius.

"That'd be good, you know. This Ron's okay," he said mock-dismissively, "That one was a pure killer."

"Hmm...It'll be useful won't it?" teased Hermione. "A better version of Ron..."

Ron protested with an "Oi!" and huffed.

They hadn't even realised that the dementors had left during the conversation. Harry couldn't have felt sorrow at that moment.

"There's another possible effect...one of the other sacrifices might have been given Snape's memories."

No dementor could've matched the impact of that statement. Harry paled horribly.

"Quick Ron, try and remember who those Death Eaters we used were!" Harry ordered, before slapping his forehead in exasperated and frustrated realisation. "Why was Severus Snape ever bloody born?" he yelled.

"You are seriously off your rocker, Harry!" Ron informed him with all the air of a pathologist telling the patient that he or she had a very terrible terminal illness.

"I think we should really talk about something else," Hermione declared amidst the disjointed conjecture and pronunciations which were becoming increasingly grim. "We have got a head start on things, so it's better to secure what we do know. And more importantly, we need to take Ron to the Hospital Wing."

Sirius looked suddenly sheepish. "Sorry about that, er Ron was it?"

Ron only gave an affected grimace.

"What about him though?" Sirius continued, jerking a thumb at Peter.

"Transfigure him into a ball, Padfoot. We can always bounce him along."

Sirius' grin at that was a mile wide. And so, limping boy, supporting friends (one of them bouncing a ball intermittently) and a big, black dog made their way to the school. Harry's cloak had been stowed away into Sirius' pocket.

* * *

Dumbledore was already there, sitting with a frown as he sat beside the practically dead potion master's bedside. When he saw the odd party trooping in, his face showed a tumult of expressions.

"Where, may I ask, have you all been?" he interrogated them.

"We were bringing Ron here, sir. He broke his leg. I trussed it up, but it's not very well done," younger-Harry explained, pointing at his friend.

Dumbledore had no doubt that it was an evasion. Harry usually had an end of the year adventure, and he had been waiting for it for quite some time.

"That doesn't answer my question, Mr. Potter."

"I know sir. I promise you that you will have more answers than you bargained for. I only ask you to wait I can tell you everything. It will be later tomorrow."

Dumbledore looked at his student with wide-eyes. "More than I bargained?"

"Much more, sir, much more than you bargained. I will drop you some hints if you stop with your Legillimency attempts."

The old man didn't look abashed in the slightest. "I hope you will understand the necessity. I have a teacher who was kissed, one Ministry Worker who died on the castle grounds, and what I can sense as two illegal animagi though I can only see one animal."

Inclining his head a touch, Harry decided to drop the old man a bone. "Bluntness suits you better than your secrets, sir."

Dumbledore's eyes grew wide in surprise. "What do you mean by that, my boy?"

"Another prophecy was made by Sybil Trelawney today, this one with me as the recipient, as you were for the first, as you told me." Dumbledore now held more than just surprise. How did the boy know? When did he tell Harry? "That was the first hint."

A thought wormed its way into Dumbledore's mind.

"The second is that you found out the way to cure my scar, and we now know the other _seven_ things like the Diary, and the scar. It is a runic exorcism. We don't know the hiding places, though."

The worming thought became a full-fledged drill. Time. That was the answer: time. Fearing what he would hear next, he asked the man – for he now had no doubt that it wasn't a boy he was talking to, but a man – he asked, "The third?"

"I killed the Death Eaters Walden McNair and Severus Snape. Snape was a traitor. You now owe me a moral, if not a real, life debt."

"You killed?" Dumbledore rasped, even as he tried to get around the fact that Severus had murdered him in the future.

"Yes. You eventually agreed with that course of action, out of sheer desperation."

Deciding that Harry was giving Dumbledore a hint too many, Sirius transformed. "Do you really trust him, pup?"

"We have to Sirius. I lost the reverence I had for him, but not the respect and not _all_ my trust. I have to trust him. He still is the one person who is strategically important – alive for us, and dead for them. I intend for as many people as can truly help us to know. And he is the only one I can trust to cleanse my scar – don't ask what that means, I'll tell you everything soon. The other important reason is that we really don't have time."

Dumbledore noticed the easy conversation between supposed mass-murderer and traitor, and the one he had supposedly betrayed, as well as the transition from 'we' to 'I'. He also realised, that Harry certainly knew about his reluctance to exorcise the scar soul-shard till he had seen fit to purge it. That had taken away the 'reverence' as he claimed. But he had not told anyone but him – and even then, indirectly – that he knew why Dumbledore had not removed the scar, or that he could have done so, before then. It was information that would put Sirius and Remus against him, without a doubt. So Harry too was seeing the bigger picture, in a way. He would throw his lot in completely with the boy – man. He had no choice anyway.

"One last question, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore started, far more courteously than he had ever spoken to any student. "Was it that horrible?"

"All in due time, Professor; I had hoped, though, that your inference would be explanation enough. Now that you know where I come from, perhaps you'd consent to a small drama tomorrow? My father's, godfather's and uncle Remus' legacy demands to be upheld."

A not too subtle way to tell him who the traitor was, Dumbledore mused. Eyes twinkling, he agreed. "Indeed, Harry. Such stellar legacies must be upheld."

"Thank you, sir. Just pretend to be afraid, will you?"

Dumbledore wanted to smile, but it only came out as a worried grimace. "Indeed." Then looking at the bedraggled Sirius and the now grimacing, injured Ron, he called out, "Poppy!"

The matron came in. Looking at Sirius, she shrieked, "It's Sirius Black!"

"Yes, I know, Poppy. I need you to trust me on this. Don't bother with Snape. Make sure that Sirius is comfortable. He is innocent." Harry had taken the first few steps. Albus decided to meet him halfway. Doffing his hat, he hurried out of the Hospital Wing, with a muttered, "Till tomorrow."

That move stunned all those present.

"Did Dumbledore essentially ask Poppy to let Snape die?" Sirius asked in wonder.

"As it so happens, yes, he did," the matron answered. "Severus is a lost cause anyway," she muttered, as she set about healing Ron and Sirius.

* * *

Harry and Hermione moved away to accord them all privacy. Harry transfigured a bed at the end of the ward into a strong solid steel cage, with a few holes to allow air to pass through. Placing the ball inside, he transfigured it back to Pettigrew, and stunned him again for good measure.

Harry and Hermione then sat beside the cage, with him casually placing an arm around her and drawing her into a hug. Hermione revelled in the contact.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Were we close in the future?"

"I cannot answer that question without infringing on your free will, Hermione." Actually, he could have. But the thought of a live Hermione, and the soothing contact with her had completely short-circuited his brain.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry sighed. This had been one of his biggest fears when he had returned. "In the future, you had fallen in love, you had married, and you had three wonderful children before you were murdered. I have already changed the timeline heavily within the first few hours itself. It is entirely possible that you won't even like the person you married then."

"Oh." Hermione was clearly thinking about it. "If I ask a question, will you answer it truthfully?"

"I will try. If I cannot, I will tell you so."

"Was it you?"

"Was I what?"

"Were you the person I married and had children with?"

Harry was quiet for a long moment as he erected a silencing ward around them. "You were always too clever," he said finally.

Hermione took that to mean a yes. "So you were."

Deciding that he couldn't – and even if he could, wouldn't – lie to her, he nodded to confirm her conclusion. Hermione looked like she was torn between happiness and hurt. Harry couldn't understand that at all.

"Then don't you like me anymore?" she asked a bit timidly.

This couldn't go uncorrected. "I don't just like you, Minnie. I love you. I love you so much that it was like dying a hundred times each minute, living without you. I told you, didn't I, that, I had to burn yours and our children's bodies? It killed me as a human, making me a bloodthirsty beast. I couldn't help myself when I saw you again. You know I cried, don't you? Have I ever cried before?"

Hermione could feel her heart swelling as Harry told her about their love in the future. Unfortunately, Harry put a damper on her joy, inadvertently.

"But now, I am nearly fourteen, and I am thirty five as well. Sometimes I'll be a bit too old for you, and sometimes I'll be the Harry you know. Don't you deserve better than someone like me, who is of this time, yet doesn't truly belong here?"

Narrowing her eyes in what Harry knew as anger, she stood and straddled Harry's outstretched legs, pinning him with a steely glare. Unmindful of the rather compromising position, she grabbed Harry's face and admonished him. "That is not your place to decide, Harry James Potter. You loved me. As the thirty five year old you did. Do you love me, as the nearly fourteen year old?"

"I think I do. You did cause biological boy-things to happen to me for the first time." Hermione started blushing at that. "But knowing the future we had now, I think I like you more than that too," Harry answered candidly. It was through practice that he had known that candour always cooled Hermione's temper. He hadn't needed to grow and marry her for that. He then added in a small voice, "But Big-me also feels it quite a bit creepy that he just physically snogged a fourteen year old girl."

"Is your body thirty five?" Hermione demanded. "And is little-you," she wrinkled her nose a bit at that terminology, "non-existent?"

Harry shook his head vigorously.

"Then let me decide whether or not I deserve better and whether or not it is creepy. As it stands, if you love me, I can think of nothing better, do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am. But there remains a question."

"Yes?"

"Do you like me, or is this because I am your friend, and you feel obligated due to me telling you about the future?"

Hermione stared at her crush (not-so-secret, if her dorm-mates were to be asked) with not a little anger. "Do I look like someone who would feel obligated to anyone, Harry? If you think so then you don't know me at all. I was so disheartened when those Dursleys refused to sign that stupid Hogsmeade form!"

"Oh."

"'Oh' he says," Hermione taunted with an unladylike snort. "I was hoping that you might like me too."

"Of course I do! Big-me loves you. I think I'll settle for liking you, for now."

"Good." Then in a second they were kissing. Harry wondered why and how Hermione was suddenly being so forward, but couldn't really find it in himself to complain. Hormones were working faster than his mind. Hermione was revelling in the rather forbidden and mortifying, yet strangely delightful feeling of Harry wanting her in all ways, as the rather physical evidence that she happened to be sitting on confirmed. Harry was revelling in this renewed closeness with his wife, as the images of the thirty five year old woman that was his wife, and the nearly fifteen year old girl kissing him coalesced.

As the kiss started getting more passionate and hands started wandering, Harry broke off. Hermione pouted and assumed a very hurt expression.

"Hey! None of that now," protested Harry. "We have to be responsible. I can't push you into something I know you aren't ready for. And I think we should help Ron win his bet about when we finally get together and start dating in the right earnest. He was the one that got us together on Halloween 1996."

"I am not waiting for that long," Hermione declared with a huff, even as her traitorous body fought with her responsible mind regarding the validity of Harry's compunctions.

"We can get him to change his bet, Regina cor meum..." Harry placated with another searing kiss.

Hermione melted back into the kiss with a happy sigh.

Pulling back slightly the two stared into ech others' eyes again.

"You weren't this forward the last time, Minnie. What's different?"

Hermione concluded that Harry was trying to see how much he could get her to blush. "Did I tell you when I started to like you?"

"No, not really. We just started dating on Halloween '96. That day our date was broken early because someone passed a cursed object to Katie Bell. We then spent the rest of our date trying to arrange her transport to Hogwarts and then St. Mungo's. After that, it was war, a small break, war, more war, we got married just after a fight when you became Valkyrie-Hermione, and a small honeymoon to Sirius' island in the Carribeans, then more war, then children and war, death and war. So we really didn't get to just talk and be a young couple in love," Harry explained with a shrug. "I really would have liked to know more about you. Those would have been more things to love about you, you know."

"Did you practise your lines, Harry?"

"Only on you and for you, Hermione. Though I did briefly go astray and dated Cho Chang before we started dating," he informed her hesitantly. Then shying away from her gaze, he continued, "I am sorry."

Hermione felt a sharp pang of hurt when he told her about the Asian girl. But he was trying to be honest. "Are you likely to date her now?" she asked archly.

"Of course not," came the instant and vehement reply.

"Then don't try to say things that you think might dissuade me."

Harry smiled sheepishly and ducked his head. "So, when did you start liking me then?"

"Last year," Hermione declared. "I heard you when you used to come to talk to me. I thought it was very sweet of you. So I did have a crush on you already. But I didn't think you'd like a mousy little bookworm back. But when earlier you told me that..."

"You were my wife, and I loved you, you just decided to go with it," Harry completed. Hermione nodded. "That's good," Harry decided, as he claimed her lips again.

"Harry?" she asked sometime later. "Were we happy?"

"As much as we could be within a war," Harry replied without hesitation. "We had a family, and we were very much in love." He gathered her closer in an embrace. Suddenly he had a very devious idea.

"I love you, Hermione," he hissed into her ear in Parseltongue. "I love you so very much."

Hermione's breath hitched and she gave an involuntary moan. When she regained her senses, she moved away from Harry a bit. "Why, Mr. Potter, you seem to have some practice with that..."

Harry simply moved closer and whispered, "You have had alternate uses for Parseltongue on your dirty mind ever since you found out about my ability last year. I was shocked at all that you could imagine, you naughty girl."

Hermione turned redder than her Gryffindor tie.

As he moved away, younger-Harry came to the fore, and started blushing too, as the memories of all that he and Hermione had indulged in, in private, became prominent in his mind's eye. He muttered, "I can't believe I said that. Hell, I can't believe I did that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Having Fun Playing a Dark Lord**

* * *

A/n: 1) Why is Dumbledore treating Harry differently? Owing to Harry's knowledge of the future and his information regarding the most sensitive topic, as well as the way Harry is forthcoming information with Dumbledore and is clear about his intentions, Dumbledore will treat him as a comrade-in-arms, or a trusted lieutenant.

2) While I was writing this Chapter, Sir Daniel Day-Lewis decided to become an eye-bug and superimposed his characters from 'There will be Blood' and 'Gangs of New York' on Harry at a very particular part, without caring for the context. It was much like a song that becomes an earworm and comes out into whatever a person is doing at the given time.

3) Why is Amelia Bones not doing what she is supposed to do? That's the question isn't it? She didn't do her job in canon either. In effect, she was a useless person in canon, who probably found some sort of benefit in letting sleeping dogs lie, till she became a big problem for Voldemort – just like any other politician. Don't believe that? Just ask the question: why did she never investigate the Cedric Diggory's death personally?

* * *

The next morning, Neville found himself being roused at five thirty in the morning. Normally he would have groaned and protested against being woken at that time, but having Harry hold a wand to his neck did wonders for his morning disposition.

"Harry?"

"Good morning, Neville!" Harry greeted him brightly. "I want you showered and dressed and present in the common room within the next, uh," he made a show of checking his watch and continued, "Thirty minutes, okay?"

The wand pointed at his neck did not move, and frankly, a too calm Harry Potter scared Neville.

A few minutes after the early morning wake-up call, Harry heard Neville's yell from the dormitory. Neville never did like it when he was turned a violent, shocking pink. But after nearly two years, this was the first time he was pranking his friend. Come to think of it, Harry decided that he wouldn't like it either. Deciding that the creation of newer pranks could be delegated to later, Harry turned his attention to the girls. Casually transfiguring objects around the room into a makeshift bridge (he still wondered how Wood used to wake the girls) to the top of the stairs, he clambered on and stood outside the door to the female dormitories and knocked.

It was Angelina Johnson. Harry was shocked into silence when he saw his team-mate. The last that he had seen of her was when she had been rescued from the 'Entertainment House'. He'd be damned if he let her face the same fate again.

Angelina was not amused when someone knocked on the door before six. Seeing Harry staring at her, she decided to be snarky and tease him at the same time. "Unable to sleep, eh, Harry?" she asked. "Want a cuddle with me?"

Harry stopped gawking like a fool and shook his head fervently. "No Angie. Just please send Hermione, Ginny and Lavender downstairs."

"Ooh, three girls? You're taking three girls to bed?" When Harry started colouring a bit, she added, "No space for me, Harry?"

"What? No! Not like that!" he started sputtering. Angelina started laughing, causing Harry to scowl. "Just send for them!"

The girls and a still pink Neville were in the room within the next twenty five minutes.

"What've you called us down here for?" asked Lavender with a jaw-cracking yawn. She absolutely did not appreciate being woken from her beauty sleep.

"Well, much apart from the fact that if I wanted to go all storybook hero on you lot, I'd have waxed eloquent about how much I love you lot, I've called you here to give you a heads up on what drama the day is going to bring."

Unfortunately, all four were still half-asleep.

"You didn't understand a word I spoke did you?"

"No," Hermione replied with a yawn herself.

"I am going to kill the Minister of Magic today in cold blood. I just thought you should know."

"'mkay..." groaned Ginny.

Neville had tried to vigorously scrub off the pink, so he was awake enough for that. "WHAT?"

"Don't shout Ne-eee-ville!" scolded Hermione half-heartedly around another yawn.

Harry had enough. "Spargo Frigida!" When he had decided that the girls were drenched enough he let up. "Are you awake enough now?" he asked testily.

"Ye-e-e-e-s-s-s, y-y-o-u st-stu-stupid, g-g-git," they stammered in unison.

"Good!" was the response, given too brightly to be allowed.

"Now, we are going to the Headmaster's office. You three, Neville, Hermione and Lavender, will go wake him up after you go and fetch Susan Bones. Ginny and I will fetch Luna Lovegood." The redheaded girl timidly followed as Harry left abruptly.

"Has he lost his mind?" Neville asked Hermione cautiously.

"He was alright till yesterday," Lavender concurred.

Hermione sighed and mentally cursed her newly minted boyfriend. Relating the events of the day before, carefully excluding the time travel thing, but including the deaths of the two Death Eaters, Hermione brought them up to speed.

"Sirius Black is innocent?"

"Yes."

"You lot caught Peter Pettigrew?"

"Yes."

"Snape got kissed?"

"Considering that a Dementor is the only creature that wouldn't have any qualms about kissing Snape, yes."

"Walden McNair worked in my Dad's office!" protested Lavender.

"That didn't stop him from being a Death Eater. His own axe fell on his head, killing him instantly."

"Is this how you normally end the year?" Neville asked at long last.

"Generally it is tamer, far tamer," Hermione answered with a sigh. "This time it seems that the year's end will be extended to today."

"And that's what killing the Minister was about?"

"It is likely. It is probable that it may not be in the figurative sense," Hermione cautioned.

"You mean he –?"

"It is probable. Honestly, I don't know."

"But why Neville and I?" asked Lavender, bewildered. "It's not as if we're that close, really."

"Lavender, I really don't know what happens in Harry's brain. Right now, whatever he has planned and asked us to do, seems to be something we can do." She strode to the common room portrait hole and pushed it open, striding towards the Hufflepuff common room.

"Have you got a strange feeling that we are soon going to be in over our heads?" Neville asked Lavender.

"Speak for yourself, Neville. Everything has already gone way over mine."

They exchanged commiserating looks, each privately hiding a shudder at having that moment of camaraderie with the other. It was a very odd start to the day, when shy Neville Longbottom and gossip-queen Lavender found something in common.

* * *

Ginny had to scurry along to match speed with Harry, who was striding towards the Ravenclaw tower, casually stunning both Filch and his cat when they jumped out from the shadows. When Ron hadn't returned to the tower the night before and Hermione had brusquely stated that he had broken his leg, Ginny had rightly recognised that it was all about yet another end of the year adventure. It didn't explain Hermione's smitten look and dreamy sighs, but otherwise it was all according to the general plan. The sun rose in the east, water was wet, and Harry Potter and his friends routinely got embroiled in a year-ending adventure.

"Harry?"

"Yes Gin?"

"What's going on?"

"A lot, really," Harry answered. "Can you speak Parseltongue on command?"

"Yes...WHAT? I am not a Parselmouth Harry! It was Tom last year, I swear! You can't seriously –"

"I know it was Tom last year, just as I know that as a side-effect, you were left with Parseltongue. Don't lie to me."

"Harry!" Ginny gasped.

"Ginny..."

"Harry you can't tell anyone about this, promise me," she hissed – in Parsel of course.

"I need you to use Parsel later today, Gin. It's all very important," Harry hissed back. Ginny didn't even realise it.

They reached the Ravenclaw tower. "What is common for the friend and foe?"

"The letters 'f' and 'e'," Harry answered dismissively. Luna had drilled him insistently to help get around traps with sphinxes.

"Enter."

"Go bring Luna down," Harry commanded Ginny.

Not understanding what was going on, but deciding to just 'go with it' in unfamiliar territory, Ginny quickly complied.

Luna, it turned out, was dressed in nothing. Her clothes had been stolen by her bullies. Ginny was blushing as she saw something that gave rise to feelings she had tried to quash ruthlessly. Harry shucked off his cloak and handed it to Ginny to help her cover up the blonde waif.

Luna came downstairs dressed in Harry's cloak. Harry couldn't help it. This girl was among the best friends he ever had. With Lavender and Neville, even though his instinct was to hug them as well, it would've been awkward. Awkward was a word Luna was not acquainted with.

Luna took one look at Harry and smiled brightly. "You did it, didn't you?"

"Yes. And I know your secret, and I promise you that whenever you feel it prudent to reveal it, I shall stand by both of you, no matter what." Harry wasn't surprised. Luna was someone who could surprise the omniscient.

"It's Crouch, you know. He got the present."

Harry paled. "Shit."

"It doesn't happen on command, Harry," Luna chided. "Mind your language."

"You have such a dirty mind, don't you? And by the way, hypocrisy really doesn't suit you, Lu."

Luna blushed. She swore like a fishwife when the situation arose. Ginny looked between them in absolute confusion. When did these two get to know each other?

"But he wasn't even alive at the time! And how could he get Snape's memories?"

"He is the nexus point Harry. You cannot stop him. He is balance."

"What are you two talking about?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Come on, now. I told you I'd tell you soon. All in good time," he answered with a patronising pat on the head, even though he was feeling horrible at the prospect of Crouch gaining future knowledge. "Ginny, please lend her a few clothes, would you? I can't conjure yet."

"Yes, Harry."

"Now listen, you two. I know why you have started drifting away. Ginny, what you feel is nothing wrong. Luna is a wonderful person. And Luna, you have friends to rely on. I won't push either of you till you're comfortable with acknowledging it, but remember this. I will stand with you." When Ginny looked at him in fear, he emphasised, "Always."

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Denial is not only a river, Ginny. Just remember that I shall always support you. Now, off to meet the Wizard we go!"

* * *

The three found the other four attempting to reason with the gargoyle.

Harry frowned. When did these innocent idiots become the bloody monsters he had had the honour to fight with, really? He retrieved a dungbomb from his pocket and placed it in the gargoyle's mouth.

"Open up or I set it off. You choose." The gargoyle opened up. "As a reminder to not impede us again," he warned as he did set off the dungbomb. The spluttering and spitting of a stone gargoyle sounded like a stone scraper quarrying away in the mountains.

Albus Dumbledore was in his quarters, dressed in mundane exercise clothes. It was another thing that the magicals had stupidly eschewed in their attempt to break away fully from the muggle world. As his years advanced, he found that light exercises and stretches from the Orient did wonders for both his disposition and magic. It kept him very much in tune with his mind and powers. It had helped him before in duels by keeping him spry as he found it easy to dodge and move out of curses in time.

It also aided motion.

Suddenly there was a muffled voice from the obscured portrait that informed him about the incoming visitors. "Students at your door, headmaster," it said, giving him a list of the seven students. Albus frowned. What on Merlin's earth were they doing at this hour? Casting a quick cleaning charm on himself, and transfiguring his clothes into purple robes, he strode into his office and let them in.

"Good morning Headmaster!" Harry called cheerily. Far too cheerily for someone awake at that time, Albus thought. But then again, perhaps he had had to be up the whole night several times in the future and this was nothing to him. The other students seemed more interested in using each others' shoulders for pillows.

"To what do I owe this wake up call, Harry?"

"Oh, please, I know you were in the middle of your Yoga routine. When was the last time that you have slept past four thirty? The grip of insomnia tightens as one ages...it is terrible no?"

Albus winced. This model of Harry Potter was a bit too abrasive. "Yes, yes...well, do come in."

"Thank you, sir. I had to call on a bit early because a Ministry contingent will be coming to Hogwarts to exonerate Sirius and watch me execute Pettigrew."

Albus' face grew cold. "When did you decide that?"

"Well, I just forced a meeting between Her Grace, Lady Bones, and my godfather last night. That was the drama I told you about, last night. It happens to show you in very good light."

"And you took the decision unilaterally, without confirming with me?"

"It was needed. Trust me on this. By tonight at least half the Death Eater force will be destroyed. It was actually a plan we had hatched just before Snape murdered you. I just thought it would be nice to bring it to fruition in peacetime."

The two wizards stared at each other, attempting to size each other up, when an almighty snore from Neville broke the moment.

"And will it help?"

"It will. Oh, and shut down all communication from and into Hogwarts for the day." Albus accepted that. As far as he could see this was something that he had helped plan. "How much can you manipulate Fudge here onwards? It will be critical."

"If the clique he surrounds himself with is done away with, Cornelius is a good enough person to not need manipulation to be on the right side of things..."

"However he needs to be manipulated into doing anything at all, which is what I need you to do."

So they certainly had an experience with Cornelius' incompetence in the future. It was absolutely unsurprising. "If his popularity and ratings are at stake, much can be done."

"Thank you. I will leave that to you, but since we need to think of Voldemort's jewellery, you could always delegate that to Sirius. He could be the Order's political arm."

Which, given the importance of what was going on, was absolutely true, mused Albus. "Of course," he acknowledged with a nod. "Is that all?"

"Actually, no sir. I have to let you in on something extremely horrible. Do you trust me to cast a spell on any of my friends, to hurt them?"

Albus glanced at the boy's companions. "Miss Granger?"

Hermione Granger was more than just a friend for Harry, Albus knew. So whatever he wanted to demonstrate could be demonstrated on her. Harry shrugged. He'd expected that. Albus fired a noise-maker that jolted the other five out of their respective slumbers. Luna was awake and excited. He then asked Hermione to stand by another wall.

"Hermione," he said to the now attentive girl. "Do you trust me? Do you trust me to not hurt you in any way?"

"Yes."

"Even if it seems as if I am killing you?"

"Yes."

"Promise me that come what may, you will not be afraid of what I do to you in this office?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He levelled his wand at Hermione and cast a stunner at her – in Parseltongue. As the green light arced at her, several things happened. Hermione's eyes widened, and she slumped to the ground. The others in the room, except Ginny looked at him in fear and started shouting at him. He let them have their fill.

"What have you done?" Albus asked in absolute fear.

"Just a minute, sir," he responded, before casting "Ennervate!" again in Parseltongue. The others, again, except Ginny, saw him casting another Killing Curse at Hermione's apparent dead body.

As Hermione opened her eyes and looked at Harry, she was afraid. She was sure that Harry had cast the Killing Curse at her. She however, didn't feel dead. The rest of them had a fleeting feeling that Harry had found out the way to bring people back from the dead.

"What spell did I cast, Ginny?" Harry asked the girl.

"A stunner, and then you revived her." Ginny immediately clamped her mouth as she realised what she had just revealed.

Neville had moved to another thing. "But the spell was green! I thought it was the Avada Kedavra!"

Harry nodded and looked at Albus, who understood with rising horror just what he had seen there.

"Voldemort apparently killed many on our side. He didn't kill as many as he stunned and didn't revive. He tried that once and unfortunately for him, I understood. Parsel-magic spells are always green in colour. It is very likely that we have buried people alive, having thought them to be dead. As it happens, in our world, people never touch a dead body, unless the person touching it is a healer. The bodies are always levitated into coffins. A burst of green light and nobody bothers to check the pulse. He must have killed many, but several people have died because they were assumed dead, as well."

"You mean he made us kill our own people?"

"Yes. Ron stepped in front of Lavender. We thought he was dead, she was hysterical. Ginny cast the reviving spell and that was it."

Dumbledore stood up and started to breathe heavily. This was a very effective demonstration. Their hands were painted with the blood of their own, and they hadn't even known about it.

"Are you alright sir?"

"James and Lily?"

"He killed them. Dad landed a cutting curse to his privates. They were vestigial organs for him anyway."

Dumbledore couldn't help but snort at the bald way Harry put it. "I am not alright. But I understand now. I understand much better. I take it you're going to use it?"

"Yes."

"On me?"

"If things come to that, yes, I will. Please use Legillimency on me every time I look at you. When I am about to do it, I'll face you, so you will know. I am doing it for a specific reason. The Aurors must know."

"Indeed."

"Anything else?"

Harry thought for a moment and then added, "Could you please arrange for the elves to keep several sacks of sand and just as many sacks of stones, as well as lots of rope outside the infirmary?"

"What for?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

"The plan to force the Ministry's hand was there. You, however, left it to me to decide how I should execute it. And I have an idea that uses the 'marked as Dark Lord's equal' part for something," Harry answered with a truly devious grin.

Dumbledore looked at the boy in front of him and sighed. It took so many years for the prankster within James' son to rise forth.

"I hope it remains within control. Is there anything else that you might want me to know?"

"I request permission to tell my team everything. And I want to train them. Please allow me to introduce, Hermione Granger, Susan Bones, Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, Neville Longbottom and a missing member, Ronald Weasley."

"When did we become your team, Potter?" Susan snapped.

"All in good time Bones-y. Merlin, the sheer number of times I am going to have to say that today will make me allergic to that sentence."

"And why would I want to do that?" Lavender asked.

"Repeat allergen sentence," Harry quipped. "Seriously though, I shall tell you all everything. I am not insane, nor is the Headmaster, who now knows enough to understand what's going on. You will get your answers. Susan, I wanted you here because it is likely that I will have to use Parsel-magic on your aunt to save her life in the future. I want you to understand that what I shall do to her will not kill her."

"How dare you?"

"I dare because even she doesn't know that your father wasn't dead till he was buried. What I demonstrated was exactly what happened to him!"

Susan slumped against the wall in shock as she heard that. Harry turned to Albus.

"You can do it?" asked the Headmaster.

"Yes."

"Do it. I have a condition. I want the memories as well."

"That's no condition. I was going to give you all of them anyway."

"What other horror have you not spoken of?" Albus asked as he nodded gratefully at Harry brushing off the condition.

"He went muggle as well. Voldemort got his hands on nuclear weapons."

"Good Lord!" swore Hermione and Dumbledore simultaneously.

There was a long silence, before Amelia called the floo. "Albus, my Aurors and I are coming through."

Dumbledore glanced at Harry, who nodded. "You will explain to her?" the younger man asked.

"Yes."

"Then we shall meet at breakfast time."

With that, the students left.

* * *

Harry skipped breakfast, leaving Hermione to once again deal with the questions regarding the discussions between Harry and the Headmaster. Truthfully they had done nothing. All they had picked up was a bunch of things that they didn't understand. She'd have had a torrid time explaining things, but fortunately, Luna intervened.

"He has come back for many things, but mostly for us. In time we shall know, but we will have to decide whether knowing is really the best thing for us. Our presence was a certificate of bona fide intentions issued to us." Her eerie voice had ensured that no more questions were asked.

Harry, Sirius and a newly cured Ron came in, with the dog carrying a cage containing a still stunned (and newly forced into the animal form) rat. Harry had filled them both in on what he had showed Dumbledore. Ron had looked at him with horror, while Sirius, who'd presumably seen something like that happen, but hadn't understood it at the time, had vomited and then cried. As soon as they came in, a signal was sent to the Headmaster, who nodded.

"Students," declared Dumbledore. "We have dignitaries from the Ministry visiting us today. I bid them welcome."

The Minister had brought his pet toad along, as well. Well that was called luck. Madam Toad had been the judge and jury with McNair as the executioner for several innocent people who wouldn't fit the Voldemort mandated human profile.

Younger-Harry had nothing personal against Cornelius Fudge at that point of time. Well, apart from the fact that he put Hagrid in jail at Malfoy Sr.'s behest. But Older-Harry had so many bones to pick with the man that it just wasn't funny. Hagrid's incarceration, blatantly calling him confounded (read: liar) when he stressed on Sirius' innocence in the third year, ignoring his warning regarding the resurrection of Voldemort, calling him a liar again for a whole year, and then having the audacity to ask him to toe the Ministry line and appear to trust the Ministry, did not endear the man to Harry in the slightest. Interestingly, he had been disposed of by McNair, when it had been found that Fudge had a muggle in his ancestry. So much for the bribes he took.

"Ready for the show, are you, Sirius, Ron?"

"Like hell I am. That is the sort of prank that we could have never pulled," Sirius answered.

And so it started. Stunning spells found their targets, as Umbridge, the Minister, Dumbledore and Madam Bones collapsed like a castle of cards. Dumbledore had certainly convinced Amelia Bones, for she strayed _into_ the path of the stunner which would have otherwise missed her. Harry called Dobby and ran to the Head Table, stunning Fred, George and Percy as he did so. They along with the absent Remus Lupin would have been the biggest problems. The elf did a wonderful job as before anyone could get their bearings, with a snap of his little fingers, Dobby had strung all four to the ceiling with the ropes. Each person had a noose around their neck with their hands tied far apart. They were also stood on the sacks Harry had earlier asked Dumbledore to arrange. That was where the similarities for the hostages ended. The sacks under both Dumbledore and Lady Bones were full of stones and sand. So even if he had to make a show of splitting a sack open, those two wouldn't be harmed, beyond the rope abrasions. Fudge was standing on a mixed pile, while Umbridge drew the short straw and was rewarded with an all-sand pile.

Ron remained seated and stared with horror at his friend, as did Sirius and the others among the 'team'. Whatever Harry had told them, it did not include that.

Perching himself on top of the Head Table, he revived the four. "Sonorus!" he cast, pointing at his own throat.

"Good Morning, my fellow students. You are today, lucky to witness the situation of the century. And We should really give you all Our thanks. Last year, all of you tried your level best to convince Us that We were a Dark Lord in training. And well, We must say, you have all succeeded."

There were shocked gasps and strangled shouts across the Great Hall.

"Oh, come on, now! The old protests and pleas drama matters not a jot, really. We have got a fair few things to go through." He felt a sensation ride up his spine. Mad-Eye was on the move. The Parsel-stunner left his wand even before he had turned to look at the old Auror, and found its target. "All Aurors, please, come to the fore. You wouldn't want to share Mad-Eye's fate would you?"

The people around the Hall burst into another bout of shouts and gasps. Some even started crying and weeping. How had Harry Potter gone Dark?

The Auror left the body of their senior seated in a chair after levitating him. The fools, mused Harry.

"Now, We have shown that We have little to no compunction in killing for the sustainment of Our Reign. Well, Minister, did you know who killed Walden McNair and Severus Snape?"

The Minister looked at the Boy-Who-Lived in horror.

"Yes, that's right. We did. It was funny to watch the blade turn on McNair. And well, Snape was so accidentally kissed..." he sighed. "Our enemies do tend to die violently."

Many people hadn't even known about the deaths of the two men. And now here was Harry Potter, admitting to killing them.

"So now, here is what you shall do, Aurors. As you might have recognised, this is a hostage situation. All the students and these four dignitaries are going to help Us get what We want. Are We clear?"

Who had thought that Harry Potter could be that straight-out debauched? How were they to work their way around when the first strike was on the future of magical Britain?

"So, here's how it will work. First of all, We shall read a list. All the sons, daughters, nieces and nephews, or any other relations of the following people will be taken into custody. Also, they shall be divested of any personal effects barring their clothes. They should be thoroughly checked. We shall know. We want them sequestered in full view of this Hall. And before anyone tries to escape and warn anyone else, let Us make it clear, that We have closed off all ways of communication outside of Our castle."

Ron was shocked. His best mate had become the Dark Lord? He wouldn't let it happen. "You are not Harry! Who are you, really?" He never got to ask the next question as he found the green arc of magic rushing his way.

"Is there anyone else that dares question Us?" he asked. "No? Good."

That was the cue for people to start a pandemonium. Harry Potter had just murdered his best friend.

Malfoy decided to show just how foolish he really was. "Finally Potter, you have seen the right w –" was all he managed to say as he fell next.

"Are there going to be any more interruptions?"

That brought the whole Hall to heel. To ensure, though, that no other person interrupted, Minerva McGonagall was made to silence everyone and stick them to their seats, at wand-point.

"Aurors, you will first bring Weasley and Mad-Eye to Us. We want a cover here so that nobody can see the magics We wield!"

Hesitating at having to touch a dead body, but fearing that they would die next, the Aurors brought the surprisingly warm bodies to Harry. Harry stunned the Minister and Umbridge again – normally.

When they were all sufficiently close, he lowered his voice and spoke to the Aurors respectfully. "Look, I am just helping you get rid of the Death Eaters. Don't attempt to contact any of them. If you do so, I shall really kill you." He then revived Mad-Eye and Ron, much to the shock of the others. "You both did well, he told them. If what I am doing is successful, by tonight Britain will have no Death Eaters left. Voldemort is not dead. This is the first step to defeating him."

"How?" croaked Mad-Eye, just as Ron asked, "You are pulling this as a prank?"

"Madam Bones knows. She is the one who should explain. The Malfoy boy is in a similar state. Don't touch him. And yes Ron. This is a prank. One that gets Lucius Malfoy for what he did last year. Now I need you two to act as if you are under my control. Mad-Eye, I know you don't like it, but please. Trust me on this."

The cover broke and Mad-Eye and Ron walked back to stand by Harry's side. "Rise, loyal ones! We shall reward you when the time arrives for your loyalty!"

Both drew their wands and stood by Harry's side. The other Aurors, now understanding their part, detained the children related to the people on the list. All of those people were Death Eaters.

"Now, you shall call the editor of the Daily Prophet, as well as all his reporters. We have news for them," Harry ordered. "You shall procure Veritaserum as well."

While the people were being called and the potion was being procured, Harry disappeared to the side, and transfigured Peter back. Touching his Dark mark, and focussing his magic on the scar, he called out to Lucius Malfoy. He called out with all the intensity he could muster. He focussed on getting Lucius to Hogwarts in the Death Eater garb, and getting him to enter the Great Hall. The idea was to use the sliver of Voldemort and imitate the way the monster called out to his minions as he had done at the time of the third task. It had been the one time, when Harry, not knowing the general tradition of not touching a dead body had touched Cedric's body. The magicals had a stupid misconception that anyone touching the body tried to steal its magic as it left the body. Such a person was looked down upon. He hadn't known it then, but it was why people had thought that he might have been the murderer.

Lucius came into the Hall in the Death Eater garb, as ordered by his Lord. The pain had been excruciating. Looking at the tied up cretins, including Dumbledore and Bones, Lucius felt both elation and fear.

"Come Lucius," called the Dark Lord.

"Potter!" was all he screamed before he was normally stunned.

Harry the Hysteric, as the papers would probably have named him if they had been allowed to print everything, looked at the now terrified but puzzled reporters. "Are you all ready to tell the truth to the magical world? Are you ready to tell the magical world how blood traitors like Lucius Malfoy have killed other purebloods as they bowed down to another, casting their pride to the four winds?"

This appropriation of the term blood traitor made everyone look at Harry anew. They could only nod.

"Proceed. Aurors," he called, "let the world know the deeds of Lucius Malfoy and his companions."

And so it started. Lucius was made to list all the Death Eaters he knew. Harry was only interested in the inner circle. Those were the people Voldemort had likely entrusted his Horcruxes to. He was then made to confess to the Hall how he wished to kill all muggleborn and destroy the Weasleys in one go. He was also made to list all the crimes he had committed, when and how. It was having the desired effect. The reporters and Barnabas Cuffe, the editor, were trying to understand how such upstanding citizens had erred.

"You all have the confession of the traitor to this Magical Society," Harry finally said. "It has been heard by several witnesses. You shall report it fully for otherwise, you shall be deemed traitors!" he threatened.

Harry had nearly forgotten about the four hostages. He revived them just after Lucius' confession wound up.

"Potter! What are you doing, you filthy half-blood? I am the Senior Undersecretary to the – URK!"

The sudden interruption was because her noose tightened. Harry had slashed at a sack and the sand had started to run out. The aperture wasn't too large, but Umbridge had moved, fearing the spell coming at her, spilling more sand than the action otherwise would have.

"We are half-blood, but you have no right to either question Our ancestry, or to condemn it, scum. It is a matter of pride for Us. You shall of course pay for it with your life."

The woman was promptly silenced – not killed, silenced.

Turning to the prior congregation, Harry spoke, "We shall now interrogate the following," and read out a long list. They shall be all asked a question that they will answer only to Us." All the while he was looking at Dumbledore.

"You cannot do this, Harry my boy. This is a dark path that you are treading."

"We are not pleased with you, Mr. Dumbledore. For your insubordination, Madam Bones shall pay!" And the green light struck and stunned Amelia Bones. Susan, even though she now understood what was going on, like most of the other members of the core seven, still struggled. Harry enlarged one sack on the sly, ensuring that she wouldn't accidentally be hung to death. He also cast a feather-light charm on both the Headmaster and Lady Bones; no need for them to have aching arms when they would have to sign a load of things.

Theodore Nott too had understood what was going on. He broke through the silencing charm with quite some effort. "You cannot do this Potter! You will be put into Azkaban for the rest of your life!"

Harry had a predatory grin as he approached the boy. He grabbed Nott by the chin and stared straight into his eyes, furiously. "For years, your father has murdered innocent people, rich and poor, mundane or magical, and has built his Empire, Theodore Nott. For years, boy, your filthy scum of a father has ensured the continued existence of my enemy. And today he shall die! HE SHALL DIE!" He then started laughing manically, much like Bellatrix Lestrange always did and Sirius Black had once done. "And do you know? You have had your share of the spoils, haven't you? Daddy gave you what you wanted?" He put on a very high-pitched baby voice and bawled, "Daddy! Mudbloods are taking away things I want but can't get because I am not meritorious enough! Get it from them for me!"

Nott would not answer.

"ANSWER ME! ANSWER ME, YOU LITTLE SWINE!"

Theodore nodded.

"And did your Daddy think that there would be no response?"

Theo was terrified. But he wasn't terrified by the threat. He was terrified by the madness of the Gryffindor Golden Boy. Said Golden Boy did a odd hop/walk-on-the-coals as he went to Lucius Malfoy and caused a jail of hard rock to grow around him as an extension to the Hall's floor. The jail was so tight that any attempt at removing Malfoy from the serrated spikes would cause him to bleed to death.

"Tell me Theo, what did your Daddy think he was going to get when he killed people? Did he think about his sins when he murdered? Did he?"

"Stop th-this nonsense Potter!"

"A nonsensical rambling is it? We shall see."

Harry strode up to Lucius Malfoy and this time focussed on Theodore Nott Sr. who came in within the next fifteen minutes. Harry levitated him upon arrival and crashed him into the Headmaster's dais.

"Hello Nott!"

Nott still was nursing confusion and fear as Potter approached him. Harry was concentrating hard enough for Nott to think Voldemort had taken hold of Harry.

"I hadn't known my Lord!" he pled. "I swear, if I'd known –"

"If you'd known what Nott? If you had known that you are a murdering son of a three-penny Knockturn Alley couple? If you had known that it was a sin to murder innocent people? If you'd known what?"

"My Lord, please..."

Harry levitated him and threw him across the room again.

"My Lord, all I have is yours to use, please..."

Harry grinned hatefully at this man who had brought in countless laws that made the hunting – yes, the actual hunting – of muggleborn legal. He would have got their progeny executed for their dirty blood. Turning to the hall in general he said, "Oh look, this is a grown man!" He then launched Nott across the room again, right at Theodore Nott Jr.'s feet.

"Look at your son, Theodore! Look!" Harry pulled Nott by the hair, not relenting with the magical call that caused Nott to suffer near unbearable pain in the mark, and shoved his face into his son's. "Look at him and tell him that your blood purity superstition is worth murdering for, is worth killing newborn babies, Nott!"

"My Lord, what has happened to you?"

"We are not your Lord, Nott! We are the son of the woman your Lord killed! Now you shall grovel at Our feet! You shall plead with Us to let your son live and to kill you instead!"

By this time, both the father and son were completely and truly afraid. "Please, let him go, Potter, not my son please!" He received a bone-breaking kick in the ribs for that.

"Aurors! Call in the Dementors please! They are to have breakfast! Two of three souls, we shall see which they are!"

"We cannot Potter!" Robards protested.

"Minister, say goodbye to your life!"

In a sterling example of real politics, Fudge decided to sacrifice the Notts and the Malfoys. "Damn it Robards! Bring them in!"

"Clever, minister, you are..." He then set his stag prancing about.

"So Nott, We shall spare your son's life if you tell Us where you have hidden whatever it was that Voldemort gave you..."

"Nothing! He gave me nothing!" Nott was tossed back across the hall.

"Secure the boy, Weasley. Kill him!" Ron, who had by now understood the subterfuge after Mad-Eye had whispered things into his ears at a furious pace, grinned in a feral manner and jabbed his wand into the younger Nott's neck.

"No! I swear! He only gave me a quill! He only ever gave me a goddamned bejewelled quill!"

"Where is it?"

"I..."

"Weasley!"

"It's in my Manor! It is at the manor, and there is a flesh-rotting curse, a layered compulsion charm and above that a notice-me-not charm on the cupboard door unless it is the blood of me or my Heir! Only the drops of our blood will reveal it!"

"So his blood will do?"

"No! No! Only mine! Only my blood will do! Spare him! Please!"

"As you wish, Nott!"

Theo Nott Jr. had started crying as realised that he was about to witness his father's death. "Why?" he burbled. "What has my father ever done to you?"

"Didn't you understand? It was Mary."

"Mary?"

"Mary McDonald, one of those that your father murdered. She was supposed to live. Your dear father sucked the life out of her. He sucked away her will to live. Now the dementors will return the favour." He turned to the Death Eater. "Now they will return the favour. Understand?"

The Dementors came in at that moment. "Noble ones!" called Harry. "Your food!" He pointed at both Malfoy and Nott. They took it at will. A little of Nott Sr.'s blood was taken and Moody was dispatched to bring in the Quill.

Within the next ten minutes, the Quill, which was attempting to get Mad-Eye to write something using it, was stored in a stone box that Robards conjured and placed on the Head Table, while Nott was forced to spill the names of every inner circle Death Eater he knew, along with all the crimes he had committed. Veritaserum and fear together made a wonderfully potent combination. The Dementors then ensured that the Houses of Malfoy and Nott would have underage Heads of Houses. It caused people to start crying and sobbing, of course. Good, normal, everyday innocent people don't really want to see anyone dying, even if the people in question are terrorists who should be put down like rabid dogs.

Meanwhile, taking pity on her, somebody had given Umbridge her voice back. "Help! Help me!" she gasped.

Dismissing her Harry blew a raspberry at her. "Alright, woman! I'll cut you down!" He raised his wand and shot a cutting curse...at another sack. Umbridge got even more strangled as the sand flowed out. Harry turned to the Hall at large and mock-sheepishly grinned, spreding his hands in a what-do-I-do kind of gesture, and said, "Whoopsy Daisy! Can't seem to get it right today!"

Harry turned to look at the four hostages. Dumbledore gave a minute shake of his head and mouthed, "Don't kill her at Hogwarts. She will haunt the Castle." Harry gave a curt nod. The man had a point. Saving Umbridge now vs. her haunting the castle was a no-brainer. So Harry sent the sand back in and repaired the sack. Then he waggled a finger at her and warned, "Don't speak until you are asked questions, bitch. Silence might probably prolong your life."

Funnily, ghosts were after all only imprints of souls. It was not an established fact that Dolores Umbridge had a soul, but it would do well to eventually ensure that she had no soul to speak of. No soul, no Umbridge, no ghost. It was why Harry particularly liked that so called inhuman way of executing criminals. They simply didn't retain enough of a sense of self to think of coming back to haunt people. It was also why Prongs the stag shepherded a dementor towards Dolores.

Of the common people on both lists, Myrridin Selwyn (a wholly undeserved name to a murderous ponce) was dead. Augustus had inherited the vaults, but had at the time been too young to take the mark (less than the sixteen at which Draco Malfoy had sworn the madman his life, wealth and fealty). So he couldn't be harmed. Walden McNair was, along with Dolohov, the top hitman for Voldemort. As they were sent into battle often, they had not been given the ceremonial gift during that time, Nott had explained. Then there were the Lestranges. Well, Sirius would get his revenge soon. They had something, of course. Harry realised in retrospect that Voldemort had to have gone after the full set of Blacks. They had collectively forgotten more Dark Magic than Voldemort had ever learnt. Snape had been entrusted with something to protect within the castle. Rookwood was a risk, considering the wealth of knowledge that he had. With the Diary, the Locket at Grimmauld Place, the Quill that Nott had, whatever the Lestranges had, and whatever had been stored in the castle, they already had five of the eight objects. Oh, and Wormtail still had the wand, even though the little shit had about as much chance of being in the inner circle as Hermione had of ever willingly bearing the Malfoy Heir. All in all, a very productive day, Harry mused. Staring straight at his Headmaster, Harry conveyed the information.

Albus Dumbledore was in part shocked, in part appalled, and in spite of himself, in part also very much amused. If this was the panacea to the Voldemort problem, he could have – should have – done this more effectively years ago. People already feared him then. He really shouldn't have waited for desperate measures. But he had to be different from Voldemort which was why he had chosen the non-confrontational path. As much as he abhorred violence, he hated the loss of innocent lives even more.

Years ago, when he had had a friend called Gellert Grindelwald who sought to rule the world based on a children's story, he had coined the term – the Greater Good. For the Greater Good, unsavoury things would have to be done. Bigwigs would have to be toppled; some people had to be trampled upon. He hated it. It placed the rights of one person below that of another. He had only meant the use of the Greater Good as a metaphor for amassing political and magical power and for helping people. And this use of fame, this sudden burst of madness, the situation that had been created were all exactly what he used to privately think of as doing something for the Greater Good. His protégé had learnt that grim lesson. For the Greater Good, Harry was shedding his image as the Golden Boy, however briefly. For the Greater Good, he was giving people reason to fear him, just so that people would think twice before making the sort of mistakes that had led to the last war. It wasn't a situation he wanted for Harry. He wished the boy to be the standard that the people of Britain would accept as their leader. He wanted him anointed as his successor. But things rarely happened as one wanted. Harry experiencing a fall from his pedestal against the eventuality of Emperor Voldemort was no contest, really.

"Pettigrew, now," he mouthed. Harry grinned back.

"And now, folks, for the main entertainment of the day," Harry announced grandiosely. The dog came in with the cage. A quick Imperio on the rat ensured that if anyone asked Peter why he had pursued the animagus transformation, it would be because he wanted to help the Dark Lord's cause, and not because of Moony. "Auror Scrimgeour?" he called the man. "Please cast the Animagus revealing spell on this rat."

Scrimgeour had been a very pompous man in the other timeline, and had not held much trust for the Order or the Eight. All the same, he was a good man – who had arrested Nott before. That man had slipped then, and it had impugned his professional honour. To see the man have his soul sucked today had given him closure as an Auror. So casting the spell was a small favour on the person who had helped clean his record. His surprise though was uncontained, when he saw the person that the rat turned into.

"Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Scrimgeour asked.

In answer, Harry revived Amelia Bones. The Hall gasped as one.

"So was she. She isn't dead. Never was. Just as Ron wasn't and nor was Moody. But that's important information for later. This is Peter Pettigrew. This is the man who betrayed my parents to Volde-fucking-mort." The Hall gasped as one again. Harry tore open Peter's shirt, and showed everyone the Dark Mark. "This fucker is the reason why I have no parents, along with Voldemort, but that's for another time. This piece of vermin is why my **_INNOCENT GODFATHER SPENT TWELVE YEARS IN AZKABAN!"_** he ended with a roar. He then punched Peter squarely in the gut with the left fist, just as he revived him with his wand in his right hand.

Peter lurched involuntarily at the impact. He then saw James – as he had been so many years ago. He knew he was dead. Then he realised that he was worse off. James had Lily's eyes.

"Well, well, well; hello Peter. Haven't seen you as a human since you betrayed us to Voldemort, didn't you?"

Peter had gone as white as a ghost. He had been unveiled in front of the packed Great Hall. With the Aurors present. With the Minister present. With Amelia Bones present. He was dead.

"Harry..." he breathed, moving towards the version of his ex-friend.

"You lost the right, shiteball. I am not Harry. I am your death." Just as Peter inched closer, Harry struck him with the Sword's pommel, and divested him of Voldemort's wand which was promptly stored into another box.

"Trying to get close enough to kill me, are you Peter?"

Peter knew he was dead. He tried appealing to Harry's better nature. It was just his massive misfortune that Harry didn't have a better part left for him anymore.

"I am sorry," Peter started crying as he spoke. "I am sorry...Harry, please! He was just too strong! The Dark Lord..."

"He gave you a particularly easy thing to do in exchange for your life, didn't he?"

"Yes...yes, he did! I am sorry! I really never meant for James to die...I am sorry, he would have killed me!"

"You are a fool, Peter. Did you for even one moment think I wouldn't kill you?" Harry asked softly.

Peter blanched. "What are you saying? James wouldn't have wanted that for his son! No! Please..."

"What dad would have wanted for his son is something I'll never know, because of you, isn't it?"

Peter tried another tactic. "You have Lily's eyes, Harry, just like her..." He received a black, burst, useless eye for his trouble.

"Don't try it, Peter. Look, you are the wrong person. You weren't supposed to live. Dad should've. Mum should've. Sirius should've been free."

"No... He was just too strong..."

"I am doing what dad should've Peter. Dad should've killed you. But well would've, should've... it doesn't really work that way. I am going to kill you."

"No, you wouldn't... I held you once..."

"Stop snivelling, you rat. Stop your nonsense. Think about the rat traps in hell, Peter."

"No!"

"Where were you when your fool of a mother tried nursing you, Peter? Why did you decide to go lick Voldemort's balls instead?" Harry caught the man by his sparse hair and wrenched his head back so forcefully that Peter howled in pain.

"Spare me, please!"

"You know, both my dad and mum fought Voldemort. Dad even took of Voldemort's 'meat and two veg' off before Voldemort killed him. You know? Your betrayal sucked the life out of them. Now think. I have got this vial of veritaserum. You tell me all the things you have done."

Peter started crying. Harry did pour in the three drops and forced out more information.

"Please now! I told you everything! Please don't kill me!"

"No. What I can do is this. I have got a dementor around. I get it to kiss you." Harry mimed sucking the soul out of an imaginary person. "You know what a dementor does? It sucks you see? It...sucks...your...soul." He grabbed Peter by the throat and made a sucking sound. "It sucks out your soul!"

"DON'T DO THAT TO ME!" Peter hollered.

Harry roared like an insane hybrid between an elephant and a lion, before punching Peter's face inside out. "IS THERE ANYONE WHO STILL BELIEVES THAT SIRIUS BLACK IS ANYTHING BUT INNOCENT?"

A chorus of "NO" answered him. Peter whimpered.

"You had a reckoning coming, Peter! And I am the reckoning! I am the judge, jury and executioner!" Turning to Amelia, Harry 'requested', "This time, send his head to his mother, alright?" Sirius transformed back just in time to see the hatred etched onto James' features, reflected completely in Lily's eyes, as Harry cut off the tongue that told the Dark Lord the whereabouts of the Potters.

The Sword soon claimed another life. As promised, Peter's head, now separated from his body was intact, barring the tongue. The rest of him wasn't. The castle elves had extra work to do that day, given the blood, gore and sick they had to clean. Poppy Pomfrey had to order surgical obliviations for Hogwarts students that day. It was necessary to ensure that they wouldn't suffer from trauma. The reporters had been ordered to keep things regarding 'where' exactly the interrogations had taken place. It had only been laced with a mild threat. They really didn't need it.

* * *

"JUST WHAT THE FUCKING HELL HAPPENED TODAY?"

Amelia Bones wasn't in a happy place. Three big members of the top political echelons (two of whom had turned up in Death Eater robes) and a man thought to be dead for twelve long years had just been murdered – executed, if one wasn't looking from the point of view of the Head of the DMLE – in front of her. Her department had been turned into a laughing stock. The blood and gore had been such that the Minister had had to be given calming draughts and sent home. It was why she and her Aurors had stormed into Dumbledore's office to demand answers.

"You'll get that answer, but I'll want an Unbreakable Vow from you that you'll do your job. Hitherto, you have just been warming eggs in that ivory tower of yours."

"Potter!" snarled Amelia.

"Shut up, woman. You know as well as I do, that you have been useless. I don't care what problems you've had. You have let sleeping dogs lie. You are useless."

Everyone looked at Harry in shock.

"Don't believe me? You didn't review Crouch's decisions after he was removed in disgrace. You let Fudge and his toadies run roughshod over Auror investigations, when instead you have the authority to arrest them for interfering with the law. You haven't investigated your force and tested their loyalty. Go to Knockturn Alley. You'll find a long list of crimes that have germinated there and which you and your department have failed to stop. Azkaban inspections – are you not supposed to personally check each prisoner? How was an innocent allowed to rot there? No answer? You are useless."

Amelia sat down. She felt physically ill as she heard the allegations being levelled at her.

"But...Susan..."

"Of course, your weak point; they threatened you using Susan, didn't they?" Amelia nodded weakly. "No Dumbledore? You couldn't have told him? You couldn't have trusted him to keep her safe here or to put her under his personal protection or to make her a ward of Hogwarts?"

Amelia could only nod morosely.

"Shit!" Harry slapped the table with a hand. "And you have that bloody ego! Of course, you hadn't the balls to investigate and take an Auror at hand, perhaps people like Aurors Moody, Scrimgeour and Robards, and protect her? You couldn't fight back?"

"I am going to resign..." Amelia accepted sadly.

"And what good will that do, pray tell?" Dumbledore asked as he entered the conversation for the first time. He had placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to stop him from losing all control over his temper. He could very well understand the time traveller's frustration. Amelia was not the person he had expected to roll over for the Death Eaters.

"I have failed Dumbledore. It is my responsibility."

"And saving Britain from itself during the coming times isn't?" the man countered.

"You heard Potter. I have done nothing."

"I am disappointed, Amelia." Unlike Harry who was a certified hothead, Dumbledore didn't need too many words to make people feel an inch tall. "You were a true Hufflepuff in school."

"Albus..."

"No. I think I need to be your Professor once again. You were once a woman with such ideals, Miss Bones. You were one of the few people I was proud to teach. Lily, James, and then Harry are some of the rare people after then that I have been similarly proud of..." he sighed.

Harry couldn't take that praise easily. Dumbledore had never said that before in either timeline. "Sir, how can you be proud of me after what I have done?"

"Because you did what you had to Harry," Dumbledore answered. "You killed when there was no recourse. You did things that had to be done to protect people. You sacrificed your innocence for that. If I can't be proud of who you are as a person, then I can't be proud of anything at all." Turning to Amelia, Albus gravely declared, "You, Ms. Bones, have some way to go before you can regain my trust. And the only way to do that is to do what is necessary; the only way to do it is by doing the job you have been entrusted with properly. As far as the lawmaking matters go, I give you my word that you will have political support. But you have to redeem yourself."

"Yes Professor," Amelia answered.

"Good. Now I have terrible news to deliver to you all."

"Yes?" Even Moody was wary – which was positively sorrowful for the man.

"Harry, if you'd do that green spell thing?"

"Yes sir. Auror Moody, would you care to volunteer again?" Mad-Eye grunted.

Harry clearly enunciated the spell in Parseltongue, and stunned Mad-Eye, before reviving him the same way.

"You have found the way to counter the Killing Curse?" Robards asked with far too much hope for an Auror.

Harry gave him a look that clearly stated his opinion about the Auror's apparent idiocy.

"If that were so, would Professor Dumbledore have said that it was bad news?" Robards flushed and looked away. "No. I only stunned Mad-Eye in Parseltongue." He explained the matter to the Aurors completely.

"So we buried people who were alive?" asked Mad-Eye, quite green around the gills.

Dumbledore nodded sombrely. "When Harry told me about it, my reaction was just as bad as yours, Alastor. The superstition regarding bodies actually cost us good people." Looking over at Amelia he added, "Your brother, Richard, included."

Amelia couldn't help it. She choked a sob.

"How did you find it?" asked Rufus.

Harry looked at Dumbledore for guidance regarding the unasked question: should Rufus Scrimgeour be told? Dumbledore shook his head and decided to ease the pressure. "I have been thinking about an experiment in spell-casting. What happens exactly when someone casts in say Mermish, or Parseltongue, for that matter? Luckily Harry was at hand. He cast several spells. All Parseltongue spells are green. A stunner would be so too. People assumed the stunned person to be dead, as Harry told you."

"Merlin!" exclaimed the four visitors in unison.

"Indeed."

They lapsed into a contemplative silence. Harry stared at Dumbledore, who picked up his student's thoughts. Amelia had to be told as Susan was one of the eight. And Alastor was a person that Albus trusted completely as well. That was their next challenge. Dumbledore had been easily convinced because of certain pieces of knowledge that Harry had shared. He knew that bringing the other two on board would need a concerted effort. And he would do that for the young man seated across him.


End file.
